Phantom Dreamer
by Momo Shiro-chan
Summary: E/OC Six years ago, Ashley fell in love with the Phantom of the Opera after a vivid dream she had.  And after six years, she is brought to his world and finds her dream may have been more than it seemed. I'M BACK BABY!
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

**Six Years Earlier…**

"_I promise, I will never let you go." He vowed to the young girl._

"_No matter what, I will always love you." She said leaning her forehead against his chest. He didn't care of her age, whether she was fourteen or twenty four, she loved him and he loved her. They may have only known each other a few weeks but she was everything to him. He took her chin and lifted her head to look at him before lightly pressing his lips to hers. The kiss started becoming more passionate, so much that they fell down onto the bed right behind her._

Her eyes opened suddenly and her body was covered in sweat. She released a very long sigh and bent her head back further onto her pillow.

"Only a dream." She closed her eyes and let a stray tear fall down the side of her face. "That really sucks." She reached under her pillow and pulled out her cell phone. She pushed the center button and let the screen light up revealing the home screen with the date and time. She started chuckling. "April first. With the dream I had, I really am an April fool."

**March 31 2012…**

It had been a long day. Ashley stumbled into her dorm room and threw her book bag onto a chair before plopping down on her bed. Her dirty blond hair falling all over her as her head hit the pillow.

"Can school be any more painful?" She asked herself. She turned her head to her roommate's bed and sighed. "Of course no one else is home." She picked herself off her bed and went over to her television and turned it on. She began flipping through channels seeing if there was something worth watching. She turned it off feeling defeated. She looked at her watch and saw that she still had a few hours before she had to go to club. "Might as well get some work done." She said picking up her bag and throwing it on her bed. She pulled out her accordion folder and pulled out her music work. "Should start with his."

After a while she managed to finish her work. She looked at the clock and it read 6:30.

"Guess I'll get something to eat." Ashley didn't really like eating in the dining hall. She always felt uncomfortable around a lot of people, especially around people she didn't know. But she had to go because she had to eat at some point. So she put on her shoes and her iPod and began listening to her music on shuffle while making her way to the dining hall.

When she got there, the room was a bit crowded but not as bad as it would have been about half an hour ago. She found an empty table situated right next to the window so she could look out towards the forest. Her school was pretty big and was safely nestled in the mountains. It got a little chilly but she loved the scenery and had a great view of the sunrise if she was up early enough. But, she had to admit, she was a bit lonely too. Even though she was at school and she was meeting people every day, she had a hard time making friends. She was a shy girl by nature and felt awkward around people, feeling like she as imposing on others. But when she joined some of her clubs, she was able to relax and interact with some of the people.

When Ashley finished her food, she made her way to the exit. She once again listened to her music as she walked towards her dorm building. She looked at her watch and it read 6:50. She still had another hour before she had to go to the club meeting. So she took this time to get stuff she wanted to bring. When she had what she needed, it was finally time to go. But before she left, she looked over at her bed at her Phantom plushie and smiled.

"Six years tonight." She said sighing. "At midnight, it would be six years."

By the time club ended it was five to midnight and everyone was exhausted. Ashley was ready for bed and was not looking forward to class the next morning. As she was on her way back to her dorm, she looked up at the clear night sky and admired the beautifully shining stars.

"Man, I wonder if the stars are the same in his world." She wondered. Then, something shot across the sky. "Shooting star!" She quickly began wishing.

_I wish I could go to his world…_

**RING!**

**RING!**

The giant clock started to chime the hour. Ashley began on her way again, but there was something wrong. As she continued walking, she began feeling dizzy. The world around her began spinning making it hard for her to keep herself going. Finally, she collapsed, still listening to the chiming of the bells.

**Chapter 1**

Ashley pulled her hair back into its usual ponytail and got into her clothes. She knew it wasn't really right at the moment for her to be wearing a shirt and pants, but she would rather be caught dead than wear a dress. She looked out the window of her room out at the unfamiliar streets and sighed. It's been about two weeks since she arrived in this world and it was a big shock to her…

_Ashley still felt herself reeling a bit but otherwise felt fine. She turned over in her bed thinking what happened the night before was just a dream. But as she pulled the covers over herself, she noticed that something was wrong. She reached out for her fuzzy blanket but couldn't find it. Her eyes shot open and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She bolted up too quickly and her head began spinning again until she fell back over._

"_I hope you don't try that again." A young, but not too young, voice said beside her. She turned around to see who the voice belonged to and found a young blond sitting beside her bed._

"_What happened to me?" Ashley asked._

"_Well, my mother and I found you unconscious outside the opera house last night." She explained. "You hadn't been drinking so we thought perhaps you were ill. We had no other choice but to bring you inside."_

"_Inside where?" She wondered._

"_The opera house." Ashley paused for a moment. She didn't remember an opera house anywhere near her school._

"_Um, which opera house, exactly?" She looked at the young blond skeptically._

"_The Opera Populaire in Paris." Ashley couldn't believe her ears. But, then again, she didn't and began laughing._

"_That's a good one." She said giggling a bit. "The _Opera Populaire_ in Paris France. Home of the infamous Opera Ghost. Next you're gonna tell me it's the year 1881, right?"_

"_Well, yes." She handed her a newspaper and Ashley looked at the date on the top. Her smile fell from her face and became as white as a sheet._

"_No freakin' way." She whispered. "There's no way!" She got up from her bed and ran to the window. She didn't see the pleasant scenery of the mountains or the forests surrounding the campus of her school. Instead she saw a heavily bustling city with horse drawn carriages and people wearing clothing from films taking place in the past. Ashley couldn't breathe and the world turned black._

_When she woke again, she was back in the bed and had a few more faces over her. This time, she woke up and began to panic._

"_How the hell did I get here?" She began. "Who are you? Why am I here?"_

"_Please, calm yourself!" She heard a very stern voice say to her and she head the loud bang of a cane on the wood floors. She turned her attention to a tall and very harsh looking woman. "We cannot answer how you came to be here or why, but I can assure you, no one will harm you here. You are safe." Ashley felt herself calm slightly. But that didn't change the fact that she found herself in a world different from her own._

"_I'm really in Paris?" She said looking over at the blond girl who merely nodded to her. "And it's the year 1881?" The girl nodded again. Ashley felt tears prickling the backs of her eyes and nearly broke down. She took a few deep breaths and tried steadying her mind._

Crying isn't going to get me anywhere._ She thought. She managed to calm herself down but a few stray tears managed to break free and fall down her face. She felt someone touch her shoulder and turned to see a very beautiful young woman staring her in the face. She had long brown hair that fell down her shoulders in a waterfall of curls and innocent brown eyes. Oddly enough, she looked vaguely familiar to her._

"_Do you have any family we can contact here?" She asked. Her voice was very melodious and pretty to her ears and was filled with concern and pity for her. Ashley just shook her head._

"_I'm alone." She stated._

"_Well, I suppose we can find a place for you here." The older woman said. "I'll inform Monsieur Lefèvre of your current situation and set you up to work here as well as live here." And just like that, the woman was off. Ashley felt as if she had head that name somewhere before._

"_Oh, we should introduce ourselves." The blond girl began. "My name is Meg Giry." Ashley's head just jerked around to her._

Meg Giry?_ She thought._

"_This is my friend Christine." She continued gesturing towards the dark haired girl. Ashley felt like she was going to faint again. "The woman who was just here was my mother."_

Meg Giry… Christine… Madame Giry?... This can't be!_ Ashley had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had a very acute idea where she is._

Ever since that day, Ashley has been working as Madame Giry's assistant. Due to her shy nature, she doesn't say very much to anyone at the opera house. The only people whom she does speak with are Madame Giry, Meg, or Christine. Everyone else, since she barely says a word, believes that she's mute; that she can't talk at all. The entire better for her since no one would try striking a conversation with her. She pulled her iPod from her pocket and just looked at its black screen. She hasn't used it once since she came to Paris and only plans to use it should the time arises.

"Ashley, when are you going to dress normally?" Meg asked walking into the room.

"Back home, girls are allowed to dress like this." She explained. "Besides, I'm not one for dresses."

"But it's improper." Ashley chuckled.

"Thanks for the concern Meg but I shopped caring what people thought about me long ago." She turned away from the window and made for the door. "We better get down to the stage. Rehearsal will start soon.

When Ashley began working at the Opera Populaire, she was very unsure as to what period in time she would be starting at. But after some analyzing and a few vague questions, she figured out that she wound up just before the story of Phantom took place. At the moment, they were indeed rehearsing for Hannibal and the new managers have yet to show their faces.

_I'm not sure whether to be afraid or to be excited._ She thought. The idea of living the story from the beginning did sound like fun, but at the same time, IT'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! She could be dead in a millisecond if she wasn't careful. But with her knowledge of this world, she's kept herself out of trouble. Besides here state of dress.

As Ashley watched the practice for Hannibal, she wondered when the story was going to begin and was wondering what she would be doing as soon as it did take place.

"Ashley!" She jumped a little when she heard Madame Giry call her name. "Try to stay focused." Ashley nodded to her new boss and tried keeping her mind on the rehearsal. Carlotta was once again throwing another temper tantrum over God knows what and Ashley knew it was going to be a long day.

"Signora, whenever you are ready." M. Reyer said standing before the orchestra.

"Maestro." She said in that annoying voice.

_Ah boy, here it comes._ Ashley braced herself. So rehearsals continued on for a few short minutes until M. Reyer had to stop because Piangi still couldn't get his line right. Once again he said Roma instead of Rome. _How many times is he going to mess that up?_ Just then, she saw M. Lefèvre coming up onto the stage with…

_Oh sweet Jesus!_ She thought as she saw the two gentlemen in tow. _Andre and Firmin. I wasn't far off after all!_

"Ladies and Gentlemen! If I may have your attention!" Everyone began turning to the manager. "As you know, for some weeks there have been rumors of my imminent retirement." The room was completely silent. "I can now tell you that these are all true."

_And it is my pleasure to introduce you to the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire: Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre._ Ashley recited in her head as Lefèvre spoke to the crowd. Ashley knew this was the moment of truth. She began watching the rafters hoping to catch a glimpse of the Phantom. But her luck was short lived when Mme Giry pulled her to the side and rehearsals continued with the dancers beginning their performance. She began walking along side the ballet mistress and the managers but continued looking up every few steps determined to see him.

"See something interesting up there?" She heard one of them say and quickly brought her eyes back down to the stage. She looked down at her feet and her face turned beet red.

"What might your name be?" Firmin asked her. Ashley tried to speak but shut her mouth once again.

"Her name is Ashley." Mme Giry answered for her. "She is very shy and doesn't speak to anyone besides myself, my daughter, or Mlle Daae."

"That's a shame." Andre said. "I hope we can hear that lovely little voice of yours in the future my dear." Ashley gave a small smile and nodded. M. Lefèvre came over and began speaking with the new managers.

"The Vicomte is very excited about tonight's gala." He began and Carlotta made her way over.

_Wow, just like the movie._ She thought. Ashley began noticing some differences and some similarities in this world. Just like the movie version of the musical, the costumes were the same, the people all looked like they did in the movie, and most of the lines were that from the movie. She even heard Carlotta say her "I hate my hat!" line and gave a silent laugh thinking she sounded like "I ate my hat!" instead. But for the original play, the year was 1881, not 1870, and the month was six months before the Masquerade instead of three. Things were going to be very confusing from this point on. And not a moment too soon, she heard screaming and saw the background fall from above and on top of the diva. Ashley looked up and caught a small glimpse of the Phantom. Her heart began racing as she remembered when seven years ago she had first saw The Phantom of the Opera. She had the terrible urge to go off and find him but knew well enough to keep away.

"Signora, these things do happen." Andre said to the diva and Ashley readied herself for the next part.

"For the past three years 'these things do happen', and did you stop them from happening? NO! And you two, you're as bad as him! _'These things to happen'_. Until you stop these things from happening, THIS thing does not happen!" Ashley just shook her head.

"Prima Donnas." She whispered to herself. Carlotta stormed off with Piangi following close behind.

"Gentlemen, good luck. If you need me, I shall be in Frankfurt." There was another surprise. Instead of Australia, he's going to Frankfurt. She just shrugged. Mme Giry came up behind the two managers with an envelope in her hands. Ashley quickly made her way to her side.

"I have a message sirs from the Opera Ghost." She began

"Oh God in heaven you're all obsessed." Firmin exasperated.

"He welcomes you to his opera house-"

"_His_ opera house?"

"-and commands that you continue to leave box five empty for his use. And reminds you that his salary is due." Then Firmin started up about the Phantom's salary and Mme Giry continued to calmly give him the info. "Ashley, he has left a note for you as well." The ballet mistress handed her another envelope with the same skull seal. Ashley stared at the note for a moment before opening it and pulling out the note.

_Fondest greetings Mademoiselle,_

_ I'm sure that, by now, you are aware of the rules of which everyone in this opera house abides by. My apologies for not sending my welcome to you sooner, but I only just became aware of your presence a few days ago. I'm sure you will do well to heed my words and should you require any information, ask Madame Giry or you can leave me a note in the box under the seats in Box Five._

_ With all due respect  
>O.G.<em>

Ashley tucked the note away into her shirt then turned back to the ballet mistress.

"What did he have to say?" She asked. Ashley was about to speak when she heard Christine begin to sing. She turned to the young soprano and was immediately entranced by her singing. It was one thing to watch her on a television screen, but hearing her actually sing in person was beyond her. And for some reason, seeing her sing began bringing back memories of her dream she had six years ago. The stage was exactly the same as it was in her dream and she could see herself standing before the judges that first day before the real work began…

"_You have all been chosen to participate in our little competition because of your unique voices." One of the judges said. "You have been pulled from various schools across the country and have been brought here to this other world where you will be judged not just by us, but the people of this world. There are currently thirty of you. Only one will come out victorious. And only one will make his or her dream come true."_

_Ashley was both excited and nervous about this competition. She wasn't too sure how she was chosen since there were clearly better singers that auditioned. But she wasn't complaining._

"_Now, everyone will report to their rooms immediately and get settled. Supper will be at six and lights out by nine. And remember, there will be no roaming the corridors at night. You're all dismissed." And all the students dispersed. All the contestants were around the same age group as Ashley was, maybe some a bit older. Ashley was 14 and mainly entered hoping to make some sort of accomplishment for herself._

_Later that night, Ashley was preparing for bed with the other girls when there was a knock at the door. One of the girls went to open it and Joseph Buquet came in wearing a cloak over his head. All the girls screamed and ran into the corner, Ashley included._

"_You young ladies better not go roaming about tonight." He said in an eerie tone. "You wouldn't want to be caught by the Phantom." Then a bunch of the boys came in dressed like Phantoms and the girls screamed. Ashley just looked at them and rolled her eyes._

"_Geez, don't you boys have better things to do than to scare us?" Ashley questioned._

"_I bet you'd be the Phantom's first victim!" One of the taller boys said trying to sound scary._

"_Yeah! I bet he preys on the weaker females." Another said. Ashley blushed with embarrassment then took a nearby pillow and threw it at the group._

"_Get out of here before I start calling for the directors!" She threatened. The boys just laughed and they made their way out. Joseph, however, stayed a moment longer._

"_I'm serious about what I said. The Phantom won't hesitate to kill whoever strays from their rooms." He said before leaving. The girls began removing themselves from the corner and returning to their beds._

"_Don't listen to them." One of the older girls said to the rest. "They only wanted to frighten us. Now get some sleep. We have a long competition to get through."_

_Later during the night, Ashley woke up to the feeling of having drunk too much fluid before bed. She sleepily got out of bed and left the room to find the restroom. But as she did, she didn't pay any attention to the turns and corners she took along the way. After finally taking care of herself, she found herself a little lost. Now that she was a little more alert, she felt somewhat frightened because of her situation and the fact that she had wondered the opera house at night when she was told not to._

"_Just relax Ashley, you'll find your way out." She said to herself and made her way back. She took a few turns and up a flight of stairs but only managed to make herself more lost. And just when she thought things couldn't get any worse the floor gave out beneath her…_

Ashley broke out of her little daydream to the sound of applause. Christine had finished her aria and the managers had given her the role of Elissa for Hannibal.

"Christine, you were amazing!" Meg praised her friend. "You will make a wonderful Elissa."

"I agree." Ashley joined in. "And I believe He will be proud of you." Christine's face suddenly brightened. Christine did not fail to mention her Angel of Music to Ashley, and Ashley was more than eager for Christine to tell her stories about how her father had promised her an Angel of Music when he was in heaven.

"By the way Ashley, you never told us about your family." Christine said. At the mention of Ashley's family, she realized that she was in an alternate world. What if she never saw home again? She would never see her home, her friends, her family, ANYONE! She was alone…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

That night, Ashley didn't feel muck like going to the opera. She already knows how it will turn out and she was a little depressed when reality finally hit her like a frying pan to the face. She had absolutely no idea how she was going to get through this. When she thought back on her life in her world, she remembered how she resented her life since her parents' divorce when she was a child. Her parents would do nothing but fight whenever they spoke to each other and for the first few years they would keep going to court. She also thought about the post years with her mother and father. Her mother would drink most of the time and was a chronic liar. Her father would mean well, but when he started dating other women, most of them were not the nicest people.

But as she did look back on her life, she realized that she definitely took too much of it for granted. Because, for instance, she could have lost either one or both of her parents. There could have been something much worse that would have involved child services taking her and her sibling away and being put in foster care. Sure, her life wasn't the best, but it could have been worse.

Ashley continued staring out the window of her room down at the streets of Paris. She saw a carriage pulling up to a small shop and out from it came a man a woman and a little girl maybe five or six years. Ashley sighed.

"Where do the years go?" She asked herself. _"I'm left with no choice. In this world I must stay. What God did I upset to lose my life in such a way?"_ She began to sing to the melody of the Beauty and the Beast song: Home. _"Why must I be tortured in such a way? Tell me... Why'm I here? Here with him?"_

_Is this home  
>is this where I should learn to be happy?<br>Never dreamed that a home could be dark and cold.  
>I was told every day in my childhood<br>even when we grow old,  
>home will be where the heart is<br>never the words so true.  
>My hearts far, far away<br>home is to_

_Is this home?  
>Is this what I must learn to believe in?<br>Try to find something good  
>in this tragic place.<br>Just in case  
>I should stay here forever<br>held in this empty space.  
>Oh but that won't be easy<br>I know the reason why.  
>My hearts far, far away<br>home's alike_

_What I'd give  
>to return<br>to the life that I knew lately.  
>But I know that I can't<br>solve my problems going back_

_Is this home?  
>Am I here for a day or forever?<br>Shut away from the world until  
>who knows when?<br>Oh but then,  
>as my life has been altered<br>once it can change again.  
>Build higher walls around me<br>change every lock and key  
>nothing left nothing holds all of me.<em>

_My hearts far, far away  
>home and free.<em>

Ashley felt a single tear roll down her face and threw herself down face first onto her bed. She started sobbing while thoughts of her home rushed through her mind. In the two weeks she'd spent in this world, not once did she think of her home. Her family must be worried sick about her. The school must have noticed she disappeared. And all she thought about was this new world she found and the people in it.

"_I think I know what God I pissed off."_ She said into her pillow.

"Who might that be?" Ashley quickly shot up and tried to look like she hadn't been crying for the past few minutes. Meg came into the room, still dressed in her costume, and gave Ashley a very concerned look. "Are you alright? You weren't at the show."

"I didn't really feel like going." Ashley said. "I just realized what a terrible person I am."

"You're not a terrible person." Meg tried to sound comforting but it didn't help much.

"I completely forgot about my family Meg. All the time I've been here, not once did I think about the fact that I'm in a separate world. I have no family, no friends, and no idea when I'll ever go back, and not once did I stop to think about it." Her head fell into her hands and she started taking deep breaths to prevent herself from breaking down again. Meg placed a hand on her back and started rubbing up and down her spine.

"Ashley, its better that you realize this later rather than never." She said. "If you didn't think about it at all, then you really would be a bad person." She managed to get a small laugh out of the young adult.

"It still hurts though, not knowing if you'll see home again."

"Well, if you can't find your way, we're here to make sure you're alright." Ashley looked up at the young blond and smiled.

"Thanks Meg." She hugged her friend and her heart felt much lighter than it had all day. "So, how'd Christine's performance go?"

"She was incredible!" Meg beamed. "You should have seen her. She sang like an angel on that stage tonight. I went to find her afterwards and asked her who had been teaching her and she told me it was an Angel of Music." Ashley's face remained interested in Meg's little story but inside she knew that Christine was being taught by the Phantom. He was probably on his way to take her to his lair right now.

"Meg, where's Christine right now? I'd like to congratulate her on her success." Meg took Ashley's hand and led her from the room. By the time they reached the dressing room Christine was in, everyone was gone and the hallways were dark. Ashley reached for the door handle but the door was locked.

_As I thought._ Meg pulled out a ring of keys and opened the door. The room was dark and eerie when they entered. As Meg investigated the room, Ashley went over to the mirror on the opposite wall and saw the light coming from the small opening behind it. Ashley peaked through and saw the long dimly lit corridor.

"What did you fond?" Meg asked.

"It's a one way mirror." Ashley replied. "Not only that, but it's a secret passage." She moved more of the glass to reveal the opening more.

"Where does it lead?" Ashley shrugged.

"Beats me. But I'd rather not find out." She pushed the glass back so it was completely shut.

"Christine's not in here." Meg stated. "Maybe she-"

"I know where she went." Ashley stopped Meg from finishing her sentence. _"The Phantom must have taken her."_ She didn't feel comfortable saying this part aloud. Meg just looked at the girl still staring at the mirror.

"Where'd she go?" Ashley smirked.

"We shouldn't be here. Let's go." She said ignoring her question. With that being her final word on the matter, she took Meg's hand and they left the room. As they made their way to the dormitories, they heard the shrieks of girls and growls from Joseph Buquet.

"_Like yellow parchment is his skin."_ He began and Ashley rolled her eyes. _"A great black hole serves as the nose that never grew."_ Ashley saw Madame Giry making her way into the room. _"You must be always on your guard or he will catch you with his magical lasso."_ Joseph caught one of the girls with the lasso. Ashley sighed and went over when Madame Giry made to stop him.

"_Those who speak of what they know find too late that prudent silence is wise. Joseph Buquet, hold your tongue-"_ She said and slapped him across the face before taking the noose and throwing it over his head "-keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" Mme Girl looked over at Ashley and Meg then left without another word.

"What do you think?" Joseph said turning to her. "You should stay on guard little girl, or you may find yourself with his lasso around your pretty neck." Ashley just shook her head and smirked.

"My philosophy is this: 'If I don't bother him, he won't bother me'." She said before turning back towards Meg.

"Aren't you afraid of the Phantom?" She asked.

"I never said I wasn't." Ashley said. "But I never said I was. All I know is that I'm not planning on finding him anytime soon." She went over to her bed and threw the covers over herself.

"What do you think he looks like?" Meg asked. Ashley already knew the answer to that but she didn't want anyone else to know.

"I'm not sure, but I'm not going to go looking for him to find out." No one continued talking about the Phantom after that. Ashley decided that since tonight was a special night, she would listen to _one_ song on her iPod. So she reached under her mattress and pulled out the little device and the ear buds. She browsed through her selections and found what she wanted, The Music of the Night. She put the buds in her ears and pressed play before drifting off to sleep remembering more of the dream from her past…

_Ashley screamed as she fell through the floor. But it wasn't the floor that gave out, it was a trap door. She looked up and saw that she fell quite a ways. The problem was that she didn't find herself under the stage or under any of the wood flooring. She looked around and saw herself in a stone corridor. It was dark and cold and she started feeling scared. She fell too far down and found herself lower than just the opera house._

"_How am I gonna get back up?" She asked herself. She couldn't call for help since everyone was asleep or had gone home for the night. Just then, she heard a faint sound. She turned in the direction of the sound and pricked up her ears. It sounded like a piano. The melody being played sounded dark and lonely. Ashley followed the music not bothering to think about where the sound was taking her or who was producing it in the first place. All she thought about was someone was down here who might be able to help her. After a little walking, she found one end of the corridor had a silhouette of light surrounding what almost looked like a door from her position. But as she continued to approach, the supposed door looked more like a curtain._

"_Curious." She whispered almost inaudibly. When she finally reached the curtain, she gave it a light touch at first then poked a finger around the corner giving her enough space to peak through. As her eyes adjusted to the light she took in the scene before her. She was standing in the lair of the Phantom of the Opera. She recognized the area before her from the musical movie she saw the year before and it was just as beautiful in person. The glassy lake, the many candles lighting the cavern, the organ sitting at the far wall…_

_But no one was at the organ. She could still hear the sounds of a piano coming from the space. She moved to the other side of the curtain and peaked out. She saw the Phantom sitting at a large black concert grand piano. As she watched him play, she felt an unusual warm and fuzzy feeling swell up in her chest. Before she knew it she was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, listening to the beautiful music and very softly humming the tune as best she could. She barely noticed when the music stopped because she could still hear the music playing in her head. Meaning she was still unconsciously humming the melody as well. And when she did realize the music stopped, it was too late. _

_She got up quickly but didn't turn fast enough before the large curtain was pulled aside, revealing the Phantom. She let out a tiny squeak when she set her eyes on him. What was strange was he didn't look like the Phantom from the movie. His face, the portion that wasn't masked, was extremely handsome, much more than Gerard Butler was. His hair was still slicked back but had a bit more shine to it and his eyes… Oh, his eyes! They were the most beautiful shade of green she had ever seen. He still held a very threatening air around him, which is probably why she was so frightened of him at first. Her large hazel eyes looked up into his terrifying green ones and she started trembling. She felt like crying but she knew that she shouldn't show her tears in front of him._

"_How did you get down here?" He asked sounding a bit annoyed but at the same time… Surprised? Maybe a bit concerned? And when he did speak, his voice was the most beautiful sound that ever graced her ears. It was almost like an angel was speaking to her. Before she could lose herself with these thoughts, she remembered her current situation. She looked back into his eyes and she immediately lost her voice. She tried to speak but no words came out. She began panicking thinking that she was going to be punished and lowered her head._

I am SO dead!_ She thought. Finally a stray tear escaped her eye and made its way down her cheek. She was scared stiff of him. Then she felt something resting on her head. She looked up and saw that he had placed his hand on her head. She was a little shocked but when she looked back into his eyes, she saw that they had changed. They looked sad._

"_Do not be afraid." He said to her. His voice also sounded sad. This made her feel a little foolish at the way she was acting. She nodded to him then looked back down the corridor where she came then back to him. "Follow me." He took her hand and began leading her back down the dark corridor. As they walked, Ashley couldn't stop looking at her hand in his. A small blush appeared on her face. After a little while, the Phantom had stopped and was facing the wall. He pushed on it and it swung aside like a door. "This way." He gently pulled her along as they went down the passage until they reached a flight of stairs. "If you take these to the very top, you should find yourself behind the mirror in the dormitory. Just push the glass aside and you can enter the room. Understand." Ashley quickly nodded. "Good." He turned and began making his way back to his lair. Ashley was still quite shocked that the most feared man in the opera house had just helped her find her way back. But that didn't stop her from thanking him._

"_Thank you." She said in an almost whisper, but it was loud enough for him to hear since he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. He nodded to her then continued on his way. Ashley felt her heart pounding and her face was red._

What's going on with me?_ She wondered._

The next morning, Ashley woke up to the sound of Music of the Night. She had left the song on repeat and it played the entire night! She grabbed her iPod and quickly turned it off. She looked at the battery and sighed with relief. Not much of the battery was used. She lifted herself up from her bed and looked out the window. The sun was about to rise.

"You know, I wanna see the sunrise over the city." She whispered to herself. She didn't bother to put anything over herself since it was still a bit early and since it was summer she didn't have to worry about being cold. She left her room and made her way to the roof. When she stepped outside, she set her gaze on the horizon where the first rays of the sun could be visible. "It's so strange. The sunrise here is just like the sunrise back home. But somehow, I feel much more peaceful watching this one. She walked over towards the edge to see more of the city. As she sun began appearing in the distance, she watched as the light traveled from the far ends of the city right to her. "A special place…" The door to the roof opened with a loud smack and Ashley turned to see Meg looked a little breathless.

"Christine is back!" She said a little winded.

"Really?" Ashley said approaching her friend. "When did she get back?"

"Not too long ago. Come on!" Meg grabbed her hand and they made their way back down.

They arrived in the dormitory and Christine was sitting on her bed looking shaken and was very pale.

"What happened to you?" Meg asked.

"I can't say." Christine said. "I just can't." Ashley sat next to the girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It's okay Christine, you're back now." She said reassuringly. Christine looked at the girl and smiled.

"You would not believe what happened to me." Ashley just quirked an eyebrow and a half smile appeared on her face.

"Try me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Miss Daae has returned." Mme Giry announced to the group of people on the stairs in the front lobby. Meg and Ashley were right beside the ballet mistress as she declared herself.

"I trust her midnight oil is well and truly burned." Firmin stated sounding annoyed.

"Where precisely is she now?" Andre asked sounding a bit more concerned.

"I thought it best she was alone." She continued.

"She needed rest." Meg finished. Ashley looked up at the people on the stairs. She looked to the managers first, then to Carlotta and Piangi, then to Raoul. This was actually the first time she actually saw him since before, when he was there the other day, she wasn't really paying attention.

"May I see her?" He asked.

"No Monsieur, she will see no one." Mme Giry said.

"Will she sing? Will she sing?" Carlotta and Piangi said in unison.

"Here, I have a note."

"_Let me see it!"_ Everyone said at once.

"Please." Firmin reached out and took the envelope from the ballet mistress. He broke the seal and pulled the note out.

"Gentlemen, I have now sent you several notes of the most amiable nature detailing how my theater is to be run." He began. "You have not followed my instructions. I shall give you one last chance…" At that point, Ashley knew what the note was to say and could already hear the Phantom's voice in her head repeating the contents of his note.

"…_Christine Daae has returned to you and I am anxious her career should progress. In the new production of Il Muto, you will therefore cast Carlotta as the pageboy and put Miss Daae in the role of Countess. The role which Miss Daae plays calls for charm and appeal. The role of the pageboy is silent which makes my casting in a word, ideal. I shall watch the performance from my normal seat in Box Five, which will be kept empty for me. Should these commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur…"_

"…I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant, O.G." She heard Firmin finish the note.

"_Christine!"_ Carlotta shouted.

"_Whatever next?"_ Both managers said

"_It's all a ploy to help Christine!" Carlotta continued. "I know who sent this! The Vicomte, her lover!"_

"_Oh, indeed. Can you believe this?"_ Raoul retorted. Carlotta stormed off with the managers following close behind her.

"This is going to be a VERY bad day." Ashley finally said after a moment of silence.

"I'm afraid I must agree." Mme Giry said. "If those two don't learn to take heed of his warnings, we can only expect the worst is bound to come." Raoul came down the rest of the steps and approached the three women.

"What do you know about Christine's 'Angel of Music'?" He began. Ashley started rubbing the back of her neck and stared off to the side.

"I'm afraid it is not our place to speak." Mme Giry explained. "But I can tell you this: He will not hesitate to kill who gets in his way." Raoul sighed a bit then turned to Ashley. He looked at her face and a flash of recognition passed through his eyes.

"Mademoiselle, what is your name?" Ashley turned to the man and slightly stumbled with her words.

"A-Ashley monsieur." He moved a little closer still examining her face.

"You seem… vaguely familiar." He said. "Have you ever been here before?" Ashley looked at him feeling confused.

"No. I only just started here a few weeks ago."

"We found Ashley about two weeks ago. She was all alone so we decided to get her some work here." Meg explained. After letting her words sink in, Raoul backed away from the twenty year old.

"Must be my imagination." He said defeated. "Maybe it will come to me later." Ashley felt even more confused now.

"Well, where do you think you've seen me from?"

"I'm not exactly sure. But your face seems to stick out in my mind somehow." Ashley shrugged.

"Let me know when it comes to you." Raoul nodded and turned back to the two Giry's.

"So, what can be done about this 'Angel'?" The mother and daughter just looked at each other then back to him.

"I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done." The ballet mistress said. "He is a very mysterious entity. He is everywhere, watching us and waiting. All we can do is wait."

Later that evening, Ashley went back to the roof to watch as the last of the suns light disappeared and the stars began poking from behind the light curtain of color in the sky.

"Man, there's just something about early evenings that are so mystical." She said to herself. "The temperature is just right, the stars are starting to show, and the moon is supposed to be full tonight." As much as she would love to stay out tonight watching the stars, she promised Meg and Christine she would be at the opera tonight to support them. She picked herself off the ground and made for the door. She could already hear everyone still singing 'Prima Dona' downstairs and just wanted to cover her ears. When the song came to a close, she heard the familiar sounds of Il Muto.

_Show time._ She thought. She found her way backstage and found Mme Giry standing just behind the curtain watching the show.

"_Sorry I'm late."_ Ashley whispered.

"_You haven't missed very much."_ She whispered a reply. As the show went on, Ashley would keep alternating her gaze between the stage and towards the ceiling. She knew the Phantom would show up very soon, but the damn chandelier was in the way.

"_Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty?"_ His booming voice echoing throughout the room. This was the first time she heard the Phantom speak in this world. She believed it would have been Gerard's Phantom, but it wasn't. It was a Phantom she never heard before. She tried getting a look at him but the Chandelier was blocking her view.

"He's here," Meg Whispered to the others, "the Phantom of the Opera."

"It's him." Christine said softly.

"Your part is silent little toad!" Carlotta jeered.

"_A toad Madame? Perhaps it is YOU who are the toad!"_ He definitely didn't whisper that line. Ashley had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_Please don't let the chandelier fall. Please don't let the chandelier fall._ She repeated her little prayer over and over until she heard Carlotta start to croak. She listened carefully. He wasn't laughing, but everyone else was. As Carlotta tried continuing her song she croaked again and again causing the entire room to fill with laughter. Luckily, Ashley didn't hear the Phantom anywhere and sighed with relief. _No bringing down the chandelier tonight._ The curtain fell over the stage and Andre and Firmin stepped out to address the audience.

"The performance will continue in ten minutes time-" Firmin reached in and grabbed Christine "-when the role of the countess will be played by Miss Daae." Everyone began applauding and Christine was sent to get changed with Mme Giry following close behind. Ashley ran up to Meg.

"It's starting, get ready for anything." She whispered before running to the other side. Meg was about to respond but she had just left so quickly.

"She certainly a strange one." She said to herself.

Ashley knew going into the rafters wasn't a good idea, so she decided to just watch from below. As she kept her eyes fixed on what was above her, she didn't watch where she was going and felt her foot fall through something. She reacted swiftly and caught herself before falling through a trap door.

"Holy…" She pulled herself from the hole and examined the door. The lock on it was rusted and broke when she stepped on it. "There's your problem." She said laughing. "Damn that scared me." She released the door and went on her way, this time looking where she's going. After a few minutes, she managed to spot Joseph Buquet in the rafters. She saw him running then saw a dark shadow chasing him.

_It's him!_ She thought and went on pursuing them. And, not after very long, Buquet fell over and the Phantom had a lasso around his neck.

"This is gonna be gruesome!" She said to herself and covered her eyes. She hadn't witnessed a real death yet in her life and she didn't want to start here. After a moment she started hearing screams. She looked again and saw Buquet hanging from the noose. "I'm gonna be sick." She thought and covered her mouth. All the chorus girls were running around trying to get away from the body by now. Meg came and found Ashley and pulled her along with her.

"We have to find mother!" She shouted over the screams.

"You know where she is?" Ashley questioned.

"I might!" And after a while they did find her. As they did, Ashley saw Christine and Raoul running up the stairs.

_To the roof._ She thought. _Can this night get any worse?_ She heard as the managers told the audience to remain calm off in the distance, but she was very sure that something like THIS wouldn't make them calm for a while.

"I'm going to check something out." Ashley said and broke away from her friend.

"Ashley, wait!" But before Meg could follow, her mother grabbed her arm.

Ashley wondered back to the stage. She curtain had been closed once more and Buquet's body had been taken. She felt her heart begin to speed up as she walked out. She peaked out from behind the curtain and saw the entire crowd still in a slight panic. She tried taking a few deep breaths but she couldn't calm herself. So, she pulled her iPod from her pocket and stuck the ear buds in her ears. Going through her different playlists, she settled for the Healing Incantation from the movie Tangled.

_Flower gleam and glow._ She began in her mind. _Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. _

"_Bring back what once was mine."_ She didn't realize that she just sang the words out loud at this point and still didn't notice as the song played.

Everyone in the audience was still very much disheveled after Joseph Buquet was murdered. Firmin had gone off to survey the damage while Andre had been trying to help calm not just the audience but the cast as well.

"Oh, this just can't get any worse, can it?" He sighed and leaned against one of the support beams.

"_Bring back what once was mine."_ Andre's head shot up when he heard those words.

_Is someone singing?_ He wondered. He began following the sound.

"_Heal what has been hurt. Change the Fates' design."_ He could hear the voice getting a little louder the closer he got to the stage. He dodged frantic chorus girls and hysterical stage hands in pursuit of this anonymous voice. _"Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine." _And then… he found her.

"_What once was mine."_ Ashley began feeling better after singing. Music always had a strange effect on her, especially in these kinds of situations. As she finished the sing, her mind felt a little more soothed. She went back to her iPod and pressed the replay button. Andre just stood and watched her for a moment when an idea came to mind. He went over to one of the stage hands.

"Open the curtain." He told him.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"Just do it. Don't open too much though, only a small sliver." The stagehand did as he was told and the curtain opened just a little.

Ashley was completely unaware of what was going on. Her eyes were closed and she was too encased in her music to know.

The audience continued their chatter until they heard a very small sound.

"_Flower gleam and glow…_

_ Let your power shine…"_

A few people turned and saw the girl on the stage. Then more people began turning and saw.

"_Make the clock reverse…_

_ Bring back what once was mine…"_

All the ballet girls were all in a frenzy. Mme Giry banged her cane against the ground to silence them.

"Girls, please control yourselves!" She scolded.

"Mother." Meg called out. "Listen to that." She pricked up her ears and all the other girls followed suit.

"_Heal what has been hurt…_

_ Change the Fates' design…"_

All the girls were now listening to the voice. Madame Giry listened and felt a sense of recognition in it. The song itself was very cryptic and strange, but the one singing it had a very sweet and innocent tone.

On the roof of the opera house, Christine and Raoul were on their way back inside when they heard the strange voice.

"_Save what has been lost…_

_ Bring back what once was mine…"_

"Do you hear that?" Christine asked her sweetheart.

"I do." Raoul agreed. "Whose voice is that?"

And, of course, the Phantom, having been on the roof with the two lovers, also heard the voice.

_ "What once was mine."_

Back on the stage, Ashley had finished her song yet again. She felt a little more at ease afterwards. She opened her eyes and saw a light was shining from in back of her, causing her to see her shadow. Her entire face turned red and was all too unwilling to turn and face what she absolutely feared. As she turned her head, she saw the curtain was open enough to show her. The entire audience was silent and was just staring at her. When it finally hit her, she ran off the stage.

_Ashley was the last in the lineup. And as she listened to all the other contestants, she began feeling insecure. They were all so good that she believed that she couldn't compare to any of them._

What did I get myself into?_ She thought._

"_Miss White, you're next." She heard the first judge call to her. She came out onto the stage and felt her throat begin to close. "You can sing any song of your choosing." She swallowed hard before thinking of a song._

"_Um… I would like to sing-" But before she could finish her request, there was a scream from back stage. One of the girls ran out on stage crying._

"_A GHOST! I saw a ghost!" She shouted._

"_Oh, for the love of…" Soon, all the other girls were running out and Ashley ran off stage. She was terrified about singing on stage. She hid in a small corner behind some costumes and hugged her knees to her chest. She listened as the terrified shrieks of the girls continued and the boys tried being brave by comforting them._

"_I must have lucked out there." She said to herself. "I'm so stupid to think I could compete with anyone with their voices." Her heart was pounding, about ready to spring from her chest. Since she knew no one could hear her, she decided to sing._

"_A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain softly blows o'er lullaby bay." She began. "It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to sail your worries away."_

_It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain  
>And your boat waits down by the key<br>The winds of night so softly are sighing  
>Soon they will fly your troubles to see<em>

_So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain  
>Wave goodbye, to cares of the day<br>And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain  
>Sail far away from lullaby bay<em>

"_You're too nervous." Ashley shrieked when she heard the second voice. She jumped to her feet and turned to find…_

"_It's you." She exhaled shakily. For the second time, she was face to face with the Phantom. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates and her heart was beating ten times as fast._

I am SO dead!_ She thought. Then she thought about what he just said._

"_Wait, did you just correct my singing?" It was a bit of a shock for her._

"_What if I am?" He inquired._

"_Nothing." She said quickly, her face turning bright red. "I'm just… why exactly did you…"_

"_Because, even over the shouts of those girls, I could hear the sound of your voice." Now her face was completely red at this statement. "You have more potential than those others."_

"_What? But they're voices are so much-"_

"_They are merely repeating what they hear." He said cutting her off._

"_But we were all pulled from different music classes from various schools across the country."_

"_Perhaps. But are you sure of that?" Ashley thought for a moment but couldn't answer. "I can sense potential in you. But you are obviously untrained." Ashley shyly backed towards the wall hugged herself._

"_Well, I do try." She said timidly._

"_I know." He said. "But I can help you do more." Ashley couldn't believe her ears. Was he seriously offering to help her?_

Ashley was positively mortified with what just transpired. She had just unknowingly sang in front of an entire audience of God knows how many people. She lay in her bed with the covers over her head.

"_That was so embarrassing."_ She whispered to herself. She felt a bit of pressure on her head and heard Christine speak.

"Ashley, why didn't you tell us you could sing?" She asked. Ashley refused to remove the cover, but she did turn over in bed to somewhat face her friend.

"You never asked." She answered.

"Ashley, the entire house is talking about it. Everyone thought you couldn't speak let alone sing. You made quite the impression on them." Ashley finally moved the covers off her head to look up at her friend.

"They better not get use to it, because I'm not singing out there again." She already had a hard time singing for people already, but this was just too much for her. She just hoped she wouldn't get any trouble from the one person she feared, and loved, the most.

_I didn't mean for it to happen, I swear!_

* * *

><p>Hey everyone! I can't believe it's been a while sinceI last wrote a story. But I was pretty busy with school in that time and I couldn't really find the right kind of story to write. This fanfic is based from a Phantom dream I had back when I was fourteen and it's basically what got me started. Now, when I'm portraying the dream in this story, it has some of the stuff I remember and also some things I decided to put in just for story purposes. Either way, it's an idea. Now, last chapter I had a song and it was indeed the song <strong>Home<strong> from the Broadway version of _Beauty and the Beast_. And for this chapter, I had two. One of them was the **Healing Incantaion** from the Disney film _Tangled_ and the other was **Hushabye Mountain** from the movie _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_. So, like many of my other fanfics, this one will have songs in it from various places and does take place during the ALW musical, basically mashing the movie and the stage show together. Why? Because it's fun. I'm hoping I can do some good with this and hoping to get as many chapters as I can in before going back to school next week where I have to dedicate myself to my work. I guess I'll never change, will I?

So, drop me a line, send a review, and stay posted. I'm gonna do my best in such a short time. However, I'm a little torn with how Erik and Ashley should meet. I want them to first see each other face to face at the Masquerade, then after that, I'm not sure whether to have them meet up while Christine and Raoul are at the cemetary or let Christine go to the cemetary and have Raoul and Ashley go after her then have them meet somewhere after that. I'm welcoming your opinion on the matter. Well, see you with my next update!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_July_

Ashley sat in the seat before the manager's desk with her arms crossed and her head turned away from the two men before her.

"I'm not going to sing." She protested.

"Mademoiselle, ever since that night, all of Paris has been talking about you!" Firmin said handing her the paper from the night after Il Muto. "People think you might be a singer here and are wondering about you."

"Just tell them I'm simply an assistant to the ballet mistress here at the opera house and don't plan to make a fool of myself after what happened before."

"But, you don't understand!" Andre said joining his business partner. "Do you not know what happened after you left the stage?" Ashley shook her head. "They began applauding you." She looked over at him with a bit more interest in her eyes.

"They did?" She asked a bit skeptically.

"They did. You were a hit my dear. You are unlike anyone this city has ever heard." Ashley liked the thought that people liked her singing, in fact, she really liked it. But she still thought about the fact that Andre had pulled the curtain on her when she was COMPLETELY unaware of his intentions.

"Well, I didn't even know I was being watched! It's different for me when I'm alone. In front of a large group, I get very scared." She got up from her seat and began pacing. "Listen, I've had stage fright issues for as long as I can remember. It's kept me from not only doing small performances with my elementary school classes, but even in college I can't even get up in front of my peers without breaking! Besides, I don't know opera! And this world, quite frankly, isn't ready for the music from _my_ world."

"Was the song you sang that night from your world?" Andre wondered.

"Yes." Ashley said.

"It didn't seem that strange." Firmin retorted. Ashley raised an eyebrow and pulled out her iPod.

"There's more." She said waving the small device before the men. "Some of it is much more than what you think." She slipped the music player back into her pocket. "Look, I'm not prepared to put your butts or my dignity on the line to attract a crowd." She turned towards the door silently declaring her final word.

"Will you at least think about it?" Firmin asked. Ashley stopped when she reached the handle and turned her head to look at the two men.

"Maybe."

Ashley went back to the roof after her little chat with the managers. She had her music playing once again no longer worried about the battery since it hasn't lost power since her arrival. At first she found it curious but then dismissed it. At the moment, she was listening to the soundtrack to Dracula the Musical in German. She liked listening to this version since the songs sounded really awesome and enjoyed listening to the singer playing Dracula. While she was listening to Life After Life, someone yanked one of her ear buds from her ears and she turned to see Christine putting the bud in her ear.

"Christine!" She cried trying to get back the bud.

"You can listen to music with this? That's amazing!" She sounded like a child in a candy shop. "What is this?" Ashley sighed realizing she wasn't going to catch a break with the young soprano.

"The song is called Life After Life from Dracula the Musical." She explained.

"What is Dracula about?" Ashley looked at her surprised. She thought back to when the book had come out then threw her palm to her forehead.

"Dracula is a story that came out, or will come out in this case, in 1897 by Bram Stoker. It's about a vampire who moves from his castle in Transylvania to London. The book is mostly put together like a collection of journal entries from various characters telling their experience. But the story has changed over the years in my world and was seen more like a dark romance rather than a horror story."

"How so?" Ashley was actually feeling good about her knowledge of the future that Christine has yet to encounter.

"Well, if I didn't read the book in school I probably wouldn't know this, but as years went on, everyone believed in a romantic connection between Dracula, our vampire and antagonist, and a woman named Mina Murray whom is engaged to a lawyer who went to Transylvania to meet with Dracula about the properties he purchased in London. But in the original story, there was no romance between the two."

"Oh, well which do you prefer?" She asked.

"Well, if I had to choose, I suppose I do like the romance story. But that's just coming from a girl who's read too many romance stories." She said chuckling slightly.

"And the musical is the romance story?" She queried.

"Yup." Ashley answered. "I really love the music from the German one, which is the version we're listening to right now." The song soon shifted to Please Don't Make Me Love You and Ashley's expression went from happy to solemn in an instant. As she heard the actress who played Mina sing the song, she couldn't help but sync with the song.

"Ashley?" Christine's voice soon broke her from her little moment.

"Sorry. This song always gets to me." She explained. "Actually, this song was what got me started with this musical." She went to the music device and began moving through her playlists until she got to one titled Other Songs. She moved through the list until she came to Please Don't Make Me Love You sung by Linda Eder. "This is the version I listened to." She tapped on the song and it began to play. As she heard the music play, she was oh so tempted to sing along, but with Christine there she decided against it.

"It sounds so sad." She said.

"It's Mina telling Dracula that she doesn't want to love him if he doesn't love her. This is her speaking her inner conflict on her love for this dark and sinister being and the life that she knows."

"What does Dracula look like?" Ashley smirked at this question.

"Sexy." She said giggling like the fangirl she was.

"Judging by your reaction, he's someone very handsome."

"That's the point." Ashley pointed out. "Dracula is supposed to be his very handsome and sensual being. That's how he's able to lure the unsuspecting into his grasp."

"He sounds terrifying." She said shuttering.

"Well, towards the end of the show, Dracula is looking back on his life and thinking about his feelings for Mina. He realizes that he cannot imprison her in his world of darkness and wants to set her free. So he tells her to kill him." Christine gasped. "He tells her to set him free and give him back his soul. And she grants his request, even though it pained her greatly."

"Did he really love her?" She asked.

"Yes. That's why he was willing to set her free." The song stopped and began shifting to another song. But Ashley pressed the stop button before it could start and turned off the device.

"I heard the managers talked about you singing your music for the company." Christine said. Ashley sighed.

"They did." She confessed. "But I'm still unsure about the idea. There are many cons and not many pros when I think about performing here. One of them includes a certain ghost." Christine's face instantly fell at the mention of her teacher.

"I can understand your fear." She said. "I would be afraid as well."

"He wants that stage to belong to you, and if I go up there again, I don't want to think of it." She took the ear buds and placed both devices in her pocket. "Besides, I've never been one who enjoys a lot of attention." She chuckled a bit at her statement. Ashley never like being put on the spot. She preferred just not being noticed in a large crowd than having all eyes on her.

"If you ever change your mind, I wouldn't mind singing with you once or twice if you'd feel comfortable."

"Well, I don't like the idea of singing on the stage, but I haven't completely pushed it aside." Christine perked a bit hearing her words.

"So, you might do it?" Ashley nodded.

"I'm just weighing my pros and cons at the moment." It wasn't a "no", but she wasn't agreeing either. It was a start. Suddenly, Christine had an idea.

"Why don't you sing a song from your Dracula musical?" Ashley looked at her astonished.

"Are you nuts?"

"No, I'm sure it will be fine. I liked the music, maybe everyone else will too." Ashley was unsure of this proposal. On one side, she'd have to go out and sing. On the other hand, Christine would be there with her. But she'd be singing something WAY ahead of this time. But Christine also had a point that if she liked it, others might like it as well. Ashley rubbed her head, obviously hurting from all the thinking.

"I need a nap." She said and made her way over to the door and back inside the walls of the opera house on her way to bed.

Another week went by and the managers have yet to let up on their proposition to the young twenty year old. Ashley was bout ready to start throwing chairs out the window if they didn't stop.

"Will they ever leave me alone?" She shouted. "Geez, I can't take it anymore!" She plopped onto her bed and covered her face in her pillow. She thought back to what Christine had proposed to her before. She had been giving it some thought since then. She finally sighed and picked up her iPod and went to find her friend.

"Now, I'm just going to use this as a test." She explained to the two managers before her. "I'm going to do one song and if it goes well, I may do another show at a later date. If not, you never bother me about this _again_." She put more emphasis on the last word making sure her point was clear.

"Of course my dear." Andre said feeling pleased. "You have our word."

"Now, when would you want to sing this song?" Firmin questioned.

"I already know the words to the song, but I will need some time to get ready. I can perform in a few days if that's possible."

"Actually, we do have a special ball planned for this coming Friday. We can have you sing then." Firmin explained. "If you do well, we can introduce you as a temporary artist here. We can work out details on future shows afterwards."

"Works for me." Ashley agreed. "Now, be prepared for anything that goes gentlemen. This could either be my greatest triumph or my greatest mistake."

The night of the ball finally came. Ashley was starting to regret having agreed to this deal.

"What the hell was I thinking?" She said pacing her room. "I must have been crazy for saying yes to this. I can't go out there. But I have no choice. What if they hate me? What if the love me? What if he's…" she didn't even dare to finish that sentence. If the Phantom was out there she would be signing her own death warrant. But, then again, there's been no word from him in a month.

_Wait a minute._ She thought. _This is that period where the Phantom is working on Don Juan. He's not gonna show up again until New Years!_

"I am so stupid." She said banging her head on the door frame. As her head stayed leaning on the wood, she pulled out her iPod and went to her Karaoke playlist and found the song The Heart is Slow to Learn. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Okay, just relax. You _can_ do this. It's no big deal." Suddenly, Meg appeared in the room and when Ashley noticed her she jumped back a bit with surprise. "Meg! I hate when you do that!"

"Sorry, but you were so deep in thought that you didn't notice me." She defended. "Anyway, I came to get you into your outfit."

"What outfit?" She asked feeling suspicious. Only now did she notice Meg was holding something behind her back when she pulled out a white dress.

"Ta-da!" Ashley could not contain the look on her face.

"Uh… Meg? You know that I'm not a dress girl, right?"

"Ashley, it's a formal ball. People will think you strange if you go out in your usual attire." She said gesturing to her current outfit which was her usual shirt and trousers.

"No one's complained before." Meg put her hands on her hips and gave her a look saying "you're being childish". Ashley sighed. "Fine, I'll wear a dress. But not that one." She pointed to the white dress in her hand. "I like the dress, but white will probably make me stick out more than I'm comfortable with."

"I have another you can try." She went over to her bed and pulled out a box and pulled off the top revealing a black dress. "Will this work?" Ashley took the dress from the box and cave it a once over. It had a very plain look to it but it was something she would wear if she was forced, like now.

"It will work."

The party was in full swing now. Andre and Firmin were standing at the top of the steps in the foyer facing their guests and were ready to present the young singer who timidly peaked out from around the corner of the upper steps.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We would like to present you with a special treat." Andre began and everyone in the room turned to the two men.

_Look at all the people!_ Ashley screamed in her mind. _I cannot believe I'm doing this! I'm going to die!_

"As many of you remember, last month during our presentation of Il Muto, after the little accident of one of our stage hands, those who were present that night may remember hearing a young lady singing on the stage." Firmin began. The room began filling with chatter, obviously from those who remembered the incident. "That young lady has decided to put on another performance for you this evening. So, let us introduce Miss Ashley." The audience began applauding and Ashley was ready to faint.

"_This was my worst idea ever."_ She whispered. She slowly stepped out from the corner and the light in the room had dimmed but had a spot light ready for the girl. She looked at the crowd and felt like running for safety. But as she looked down and caught Christine and Meg, she felt a small boost of encouragement course through her. Her iPod was on high volume with the track on standby. She pressed the play button and the song began to play.

_Why do we risk all we have  
>Why give into the law<br>That calls from everything forbidden?  
>What attracts us to the night<br>And crushes us however hard we fight?_

_It seems the heart is slow to learn  
>No one can tell it what to do<br>It never learns from its mistakes  
>What twists and turns it puts us through<em>

_Oh yes, the hear is slow to learn  
>So every lesson is in vain<br>It goes the way it wants to go  
>Regardless of the pain<br>And so I foolishly go on  
>Ignoring all the signs<br>Dismissing all the doubt inside me_

_For the heart is slow to learn  
>No one can tell it what to do<br>It never learns from its mistakes  
>That's why it finally breaks<br>And overpowers you_

_Some passions never let you go  
>Some fires never cease to burn<br>It shouldn't come as a surprise  
>That the heart is slow to learn<br>The heart is slow to learn  
>The heart is slow to learn<em>

As soon as the song ended, there was just a moment of silence. Ashley felt as if she had come out of a trance by the end, feeling like she had been somewhere far away from where she was now. Someplace far from her troubles, from her fears, where only the music and the wonderful feelings could ever reside. But when it ended, she came crashing back down to Earth and had to face the people. Due to the silence, she was afraid they didn't like the performance and had that feeling to run again. But before she could escape, the entire room was filled with a thunderous applause. Ashley was very astonished at the reaction. It was much more than she would have expected.

_Wow, this is… pretty cool._ Ashley turned to the managers and smiled. They knew instantly that she was interested in performing now.

"Only once a month?" Firmin questioned.

"Look, it took a LOT of nerve for me to get up there. I don't think I can keep up with doing shows all the time. Besides, in the span of a month, I can think of more creative ways to put on shows." Ashley explained to the managers. "This is my deal. You take it or leave it." The managers looked at one another then back to the girl.

"I suppose there's no other choice." Andre said giving in. "We expect great things from you young lady."

"If every night is like last night, I doubt there would be a problem."

* * *

><p>The Heart is Slow to Learn is from Dracula the Musical, one of my favorite musicals ever!<p>

Reviews are most welcome! Thanx for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_September_

Ashley had become a little more comfortable with the idea of her monthly shows. After singing The Heart is Slow to Learn all of Paris was raving about the girl and her unusual music. In her August performance, she had sung Final Distance by Utada Hikaru and everyone began to see more of the music of her world. But, for this month's show, she was stumped. She couldn't stick with these slower songs all the time. She wanted something exciting, something fast. But what could she do?

Ashley went through many of the songs on her library but only succeeded in becoming more frustrated. She threw her iPod aside in defeat and fell backwards on her bed.

"I have to think of something fast. The show is in two weeks." She placed her hands over her eyes and gave out a aggravated groan.

"Having trouble?" Ashley lifted one of her hands to see Meg standing in the doorway.

"You can tell?" She asked sarcastically.

"The pressure is on you, it's too obvious." The young blond came over and sat next to her friend. "Is it over which song to do?" Ashley sat back up.

"Yeah. I don't know what to do. I want to do something exciting this time around. Something that get's my blood racing. That can really set me on fire!" She sighed. "But I'm having trouble with the search." Meg looked over at the music device and picked it up.

"Mind if I…" She asked holding up the device.

"Be my guest." Ashley consented. Meg pressed the little black button then came to her lock screen.

"It's asking for a password." Ashley began tapping in the combination then let Meg did as she pleased. Meg went through her list of music for about five minutes, amazed at the selection of songs, even some with strange titles, and accidentally pressed one and it began playing. It started as ticking for the first ten seconds before the music started. Since the buds weren't plugged in, the speaker was playing the music aloud. As Ashley listened to the song, her face changed from frustrated to inspired.

"Meg, which song is that?" She questioned.

"It says 'Hold Me' at the top." She answered. Ashley slapped her palm to her face.

"Why didn't I think of that before? Hold me is a very fast paced song, it sounds edgy, and it always got my heart racing! It's perfect!" As Meg listened to the song, she sort of felt herself dancing along to it. And before she knew it, she was on her feet actually dancing along.

"I can almost feel like it has a bit of a ballet edge to it." She said.

"Well, I listened to this song from a video that did involve ballet." She stated. "I think I have the video downloaded." She went from her music to her videos and pulled up the video. "Watch this."

As the video played, Meg felt such a rush from the song and the video together. The visuals were in perfect time with the music and the scenes were just so intense. By the end of the video, Meg could feel her heart beating more rapidly.

"That was incredible." She breathed. "Say, do you think I could help you with this next show?" Ashley looked to her a little shocked.

"You want to perform with me?" She queried.

"Well, I don't know if I'd be able to learn the words so soon, but I bet I can bet some of the other ballet girls together and we can work up a routine and we could dance with you."

"But, Meg, I don't know how to dance." Ashley said. "Besides, dancing and singing at the same time? Yeah right."

"I can help you learn some of the steps. But with the constrained time, you may only be able to do so much, but I promise, this will be one of the best performances!" Ashley smiled at her friend. It definitely was a great idea, adding ballet to this song, so it was decided.

The ballet routine Meg practiced with the other ballet girls was turning out to be a challenge since not only were they practicing this but also rehearsing for other shows. But Meg refused to give in. And after rehearsals, she helped Ashley with some of her dancing.

"You're doing better than you think." She praised before Ashley tripped and fell over.

"You were saying?" She said teasing her. Meg grabbed her hand and pulled her back to her feet. "It can't be easy for you. Rehearsing for this season's operas, teaching the girls this routine, and teaching me to dance. How do you do it?"

"I'm much more determined than you." She said poking her finger at the older girl's chest.

"I can be determined if I want to." Ashley whined.

"Really? You don't seem the type." The two girls just burst into laughter.

"Let's just wrap up tonight's lesson, okay?" So the girls returned to the vigorous training. After another half hour of practice, Ashley was beginning to get the hang of the routine. But not being much of a ballerina, she was limited in her moves.

"Not bad. It's getting late, so we should stop for today." Ashley nodded her agreement being too exhausted to voice so.

As Ashley was on her way back to her room, she decided to stop by the trap door she nearly fell through earlier. The door was closed now but she was still wary to it. She pulled on the little hidden lever and it opened for her. As she examined the lock on it, she could see that someone had taken the time to replace it.

"Good, we don't want an accident."

That night, Ashley couldn't help but feel nervous. Her next show was a week away and she was already having thoughts about it. At times like this, she thought it best to listen to some music.

"_Maybe Michael Crawford can ease my worried brain."_ She whispered and put on Michael Crawford's Disney album. As Ashley got to know more about Phantom over the years, Michael had become one of her favorites. At first she wasn't convinced, but after a while, she warmed up to him. And she was over ecstatic when she saw he had a Disney album out, especially since she grew up on Disney and will probably never let it go.

When Ashley woke up the next morning, she still had her ear buds in her ears but they were perfectly silent.

_Good, I didn't leave it on repeat._ She thought. She through the covers off and slipped on a pair of flats and threw a shawl over her shoulders. Ever since the morning of Il Muto, Ashley has made it a routine to go to the roof at least once during the day. Mornings were usually her favorite time because she liked watching the sun rise. When Ashley walked through the door to the roof, she saw that someone else was already up there. She silently closed the door and moved behind one of the statues.

_Great, I come up here for solitude and peace and someone beat me to it._ She thought. She peaked out from behind the statue to get a good look at the person. And to her surprise, it was _him_. _The Phantom!_ Her blood ran cold and her heart sped up. She never expected to ever be this close to him. But here he was, standing by the edge looking out over the city. Ash she stared at him, she noticed that he was holding something.

"Why?" He asked as if addressing someone. "Why couldn't I protect you?" Ashley became more interested in his little moment. "I made you a promise, but I can't even protect one slip of a girl."

_What is he talking about?_ She wondered. He began turning and she finally saw what she was holding. But before I could see it, he slipped it into his coat. _Damn._ I slipped back behind the statue and waited for him to leave. As he stood by the door, he sighed.

"You never deserved such a fate." He said before Ashley heard the door open then close. She poked her head out from the statue to check if he was really gone.

"That was weird."

While Ashley was practicing, she couldn't get the scene from that morning from her head. While she sang, her mind continued to winder and she suddenly forgot the words to her song.

"Ashley, focus!" Meg shouted snapping the girl out of her thoughts.

"Huh, what?" Ashley said slightly confused.

"Ashley, you just stopped singing right in the middle of the song." She felt her face heat up and realized her mistake.

"Sorry guys. Maybe we could take a break?" Meg sighed and signaled the girls to take a break.

"You've had your head in the clouds all day. Is something wrong?" Ashley sat on the edge of the stage and just stared up at the chandelier.

"I've just been wondering…" She couldn't tell Meg about the incident on the roof, so she thought about a much more believable topic, "…isn't it strange that the Phantom just disappeared over the past few months?"

"I'll admit, it is odd, but no one's complaining so there's not much of a problem."

"Don't you think he's up to something?" Meg looked at Ashley with a very puzzled expression.

"What would make you think that?" Ashley shrugged.

"It just isn't coincidence that he just decided to vanish. No note, no mishaps, it's pretty suspicious." Just then, Christine and Raoul had entered the theater. Ashley looked at the two lovebirds and felt like throwing up.

"You got a thing against romance?" Meg asked teasingly.

"No, it's just that… what does she see in a man like him?" Meg raised an eyebrow so she continued. "He just seems really… bland."

"You're calling the Vicomte de Chagny bland?" She said astonished.

"Well, just look at him. Sure, he's handsome, he's rich, and he can get any girl he wants. But so is an Abercrombie model. I never really preferred good looks and that air of arrogance." Meg just laughed.

"You never cease to amaze me. I would expect you to be the type of girl who would prefer a prince charming like Raoul." Now it was Ashley's turn to laugh.

"No way. I see enough prince charmings in Disney films. By the time I reached my teen years, I had begun liking more… unusual men."

"Like who?" She questioned.

"Only those in stories." Ashley admitted. "I have never liked any boy from my reality. Only those in other realities. It's kind of pathetic, I know, but it's just been how I've been for the longest time." Meg just stared at her for along moment before standing up.

"We should practice a bit more." She said offering her hand to Ashley. She took her friend's hand and returned to their practice.

That night, Ashley had returned to the roof half hoping that she would see the Phantom again. To her disappointment, he was not present. But this did give her the time she needed to be to herself. The song she was to do for the show was coming together nicely, but her learning to dance was a real pain. Meg did promise that if she wasn't about to get much of it down, considering the very short amount of time, she didn't have to dance. She looked up at the sky. It was cloudy tonight so she couldn't see the beautiful moon that could have been illuminating the night. But she wasn't really thinking about the beauty of the moon. She still couldn't shake the look of the Phantom from that morning.

"_Why couldn't I protect you?"_ That sentence alone kept eating at her mind.

"Protect who?" She wondered. She pressed the play button on her iPod and stuck her ear buds in her ears and began to sing…

_Raindrops fall from everywhere  
>I reach out for you but you're not there<br>So I stood waiting in the dark  
>With your picture in my hands, story of a broken heart<em>

_Stay with me, don't let me go_  
><em>'Cause I can't be without you<em>  
><em>Just stay with me and hold me close<em>  
><em>Because I've built my world around you<em>

_And I don't wanna know what it's like without you_  
><em>So stay with me, just stay with me<em>

_I'm trying and hoping for the day_  
><em>When my touch is enough to take the pain away<em>  
><em>'Cause I've searched for so long, the answer is clear<em>  
><em>We'll be okay if we don't let it disappear<em>

_Stay with me, don't let me go  
>'Cause I can't be without you<br>Just stay with me and hold me close  
>Because I've built my world around you<em>

_And I don't wanna know what it's like without you_  
><em>So stay with me, just stay with me<em>

_I've searched my heart over so many, many times  
>No you and I is like no stars to light the sky at night<br>Our picture hangs up to remind me of the days  
>You promised me we'd always be and never go away<br>That's why I need you to stay_

_Stay with me, don't let me go_  
><em>'Cause I can't be without you<em>  
><em>Stay with me and hold me close<em>  
><em>Because I've built my world around you<em>

_And I don't wanna know what it's like without you_  
><em>Stay with me, stay, stay yeah yeah<em>  
><em>Don't leave<em>  
><em>So I stay waiting in the dark<em>

She let out a big sigh as the song ended. She felt something wet on her face after a few seconds. She touched her hand to the damp spot and realized that she had been crying through the song.

"That's strange." She said to herself. Ashley suddenly began seeing scenes passing before her eyes.

"_They're gaining on us!"_ Ashley could see herself running with someone. She couldn't exactly tell who, but he was holding onto her very tightly. They were running down a corridor that was unfamiliar to her.

"_Halt! Or we'll shoot!" _She saw a few police officers appear a ways away. But as quickly as she scene came, it shifted to another. Now she could see herself being restrained by someone with a few police officers aiming their guns at the figure from earlier.

"_No! Leave him alone!"_ She screamed. Not too long afterwards, she heard a gunshot and fell down onto her hands and knees.

"What… what is this?" She asked as if someone was there. She began seeing herself fall to the ground with blood pooling around her body. Ashley's eyes widened and began to feel dizzy. The next thing she knew, everything went black.

Christine sat by Ashley's side waiting for her friend to wake up. She and Raoul had gone up to the roof for some fresh air when she found Ashley unconscious. Raoul had gone to find the Giry's and possibly a doctor while Christine agreed to watch over the girl. Finally, Ashley began to stir a bit then opened her eyes.

"Thank goodness." Christine said. "What happened to you on the roof?" Ashley stared at the girl for a moment, not exactly seeing her.

"Christine?" She asked.

"Yes, it's me." Ashley's eyes went wide then practically jumped into her arms.

"Christine, how did you get here?" Christine was feeling confused.

"Ashley, are you feeling alright?" Ashley pulled away and took a good look at her friend. The smile on her face fell.

"Oh, sorry Christine. I thought…" She looked off to the side. "Never mind."

"Thought what?" But before another word could be said, Raoul had returned with Mme Giry and a doctor.

"Well, she seems to be alright now." The doctor said.

"We found her lying on the roof unconscious. We thought perhaps she was sick." Raoul explained. So the doctor began examining Ashley and after a few moments gave his prognosis.

"How have you been sleeping?" He asked.

"Well, not that great." She admitted.

"She may have collapsed from exhaustion. I heard she has been training for a very special performance and is taking dance lessons from your daughter, Mme." The older Giry nodded. "I say that she should get some rest and she'll be right as rain."

"Thanks." Ashley said. The doctor smiled at the girl and made his leave.

"You have been working yourself pretty hard lately, it's no wonder you're tired." Christine said. Ashley decided against telling them about the images she saw before she blacked out since she didn't want to worry them anymore than she already had.

"Besides, your show is tomorrow, if I'm right." Raoul commented. "You'll want to be well rested for it."

"I guess you have a point." Ashley said. "I'll just go to sleep then." Everyone made to leave, but Christine stopped for a moment and looked back at her friend.

"Ashley, is there another Christine you know?" She asked. Ashley nodded.

"Only one." When she didn't continue, Christine knew that she wasn't going to get an answer today.

The next night, Ashley was feeling much better and was ready to take on Paris.

_Maybe I was just seeing the beginnings of my subconscious taking over._ Ashley thought. She found it strange that she saw such frightening images before collapsing, but she couldn't linger on them long, it was showtime!

"Ready?" Meg asked her.

"When you are." Ashley walked out towards the split in the curtain and waited for them to pull it open. As the curtain opened, she began playing the beginning to Hold Me which was just some ticking. But by the time the music started, the ballet girls were already making their way on stage and Ashley was preparing her voice.

_Att vår värld behöver ha  
>mera kärlek varje dag.<br>Det vet både jag och du.  
>låt oss börja här och nu.<em>

_Så håll om mig  
>släpp inte taget om mig<br>e som förhäxad av dig.  
>och jag vill ha dig<br>kom och håll om mig nu_

Ashley began feeling her body move on its own. Ash she danced across the stage, most of the moves that she had yet to master in practice became almost simple. The music was literally moving her body the way it wanted.

_Ja kom närmare ett slag.  
>Hör du mina andetag?<br>Blodet rusar vilt och hett.  
>ja på många skilda sätt.<em>

_Så kom och håll om mig  
>Släpp inte taget om mej!<br>Är som förhäxad av dig!  
>Och jag vill ha dig!<br>Kom och håll om mig nu!_

The audience continued watching the performance and was very surprised. This song was much different from the others Ashley had performed and no one expected such music after all they had experienced already.

_Pulsen slår jag ser din blick. (Åååååh)  
>Jag är i ett hjälplöst skick.<br>__Och blir räddad först om du  
>Ger mun-mot-mun-metoden nu.<em>

_Så håll om mej.  
>Släpp inte taget om mej.<br>Är som förhäxad av dej.  
>Och jag vill ha dej.<br>Kom och håll om mej nu._

_Ja kom och håll om mej!  
>Släpp inte taget om mig!<br>Är som förhäxad av dej!  
>Och jag vill ha dej!<br>Kom och håll om mej nu!_

_Är förlorad och förförd.  
>jag är skakad och berörd.<br>hjärtat slår så hårt.  
><em>_Låta bil dej blir för svårt.  
>Och jag tror du ser att jag faller mer och mer.<br>håll om mej._

Ashley could no longer control herself on stage. She felt possessed by the music and was enjoying every second of it. Never before had she felt so energized by her music until now. In fact, ever since she arrived in this world, music has become so much more to her.

_Ja håll om mig  
>släpp inte taget om mig<br>Är som förhäxad av dej!  
>Och jag vill ha dej!<br>Kom och håll om mig nu!_

_Ja kom och håll om mig!  
>Släpp inte taget om mej!<br>Är som förhäxad av dig!  
>Och jag vill ha dej!<br>Kom och håll om mig nu!_

_Kom och håll om mej!  
>Släpp inte taget om mej!<br>Och jag vill ha dig!  
>Kom och håll om mig nu<em>

As the song ended, Ashley and the girls were given a standing ovation. The entire theater was filled with applause and shouts of praise. Ashley however barely noticed because after the music stopped, she felt almost empty. But when Meg tapped her on the shoulder, she came back to reality and noticed the crowd.

"That had to be your best show yet." The blond whispered.

"I have to agree with you there." Ashley said. She definitely could feel the difference while she sang in this world. She couldn't exactly tell if it was because this was a musical world or if it was the rush of actually performing. Either way, Ashley could never get enough.

* * *

><p>The first song was <strong>Stay With Me <strong>by _Danity Kane_ and the second song was **Hold Me (Hall om mig)** by _Nanne Gronvall_. Hold Me is in Swedish but the lyrics and translation are easy to find with Google.

So, once again, reviews are welcome. And I'm still working on what to do for the meeting. If you don't know what I'm talking about, refer to my note at the end of chapter 3.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_November_

November. Ashley could remember so many things about November that she enjoyed. In high school, there would not be a single full week of school, the air becoming much cooler in preparation of winter, Thanksgiving time…

But now was not the time for dwelling on the past. Because she had her mind on other things at the moment. She had completely neglected in finding a song to sing for her show in three days. THREE DAYS! She tried to find a great song that could have possibly topped Hold Me from two months ago, but nothing came to mind. Not only that, but she had been having a horrid headache the past few days. She continued assisting Madame Giry when they began work on new operas, but her focus was mostly on her next show.

"Ashley, are you feeling alright?" The older Giry asked.

"Yeah, why?" She replied.

"You seem slightly flushed." She reached her hand to the younger girl's forehead. "You feel very warm as well."

"That's nothing to worry about. Sometimes that happens." She explained. "I nearly gave my mother a heart attack one time when she thought I had a fever." She laughed a little bit thinking about the memory. But then a slight depression set in. It's been five months since she woke up in this world and she still had no idea how to get home. Not only that but she really started missing her family.

"Well, if you say you're alright, I'll take your word for it." She responded. "But if you collapse again-"

"I promise you, I'm fine." She didn't start pressing her again after that. However, by the end of rehearsals, Ashley was beginning to feel the day catch up to her. She had become exhausted and felt slightly dizzy. Christine noticed Ashley's sudden fatigue and came to see how she was.

"You okay?" She asked. Ashley nodded. "You don't look too good."

"I'll be fine. Just give me a minute." But as she made to walk, she fell over.

"Ashley!" Meg and her mother heard Christine shout and rushed over.

"What happened?" Meg asked.

"Ashley just fell." Christine explained. She reached over to touch the girl's forehead but quickly retracted her hand. "She's burning hot!"

"I knew she couldn't have been well." Mme Giry cursed. "We need to get her to bed."

The doctor pulled the thermometer from Ashley's mouth and examined it.

"39° Celsius, quite a high temperature." He said and Ashley groaned.

"Could you say that in Fahrenheit please?" She whined.

"It would be about 102° in Fahrenheit."

"Fan-bloody-tastic." Ashley said. "Well, I'm sure that if I rest a bit, I can be ready for the show in a few days."

"I'm afraid; you need more time to recover." The doctor explained. "Mademoiselle, I know you're enthusiastic about your music, but you need at least a few days rest before you can think about another show."

"Aw, come on!" Ashley shouted and tried getting out of bed but Christine and Meg pushed her back down. "This is ridiculous!"

"Ashley, calm down. You don't want to make yourself worse." After a while, Ashley gave in.

"Fine. I'll rest for a few days, but that's not stopping me from singing." The doctor gave an aggravated sigh.

"If you can reduce your temperature and keep yourself from fainting while you stand, I may let you sing in a few days." Ashley nodded to him, feeling the determination to get better.

The next morning, Ashley wanted to go back up to the roof, but with the doctor's deal planted in her mind she decided against it. Since the weather was starting to get cooler and it had been raining the past few days, it would only add to her terrible health. Christine entered the room after a while with a tray holding a tea pot and two cups.

"I thought you could use some company." She said.

"Thanks, I get bored real easy." Ashley said relieved. Christine set the tray on a small table near the bed and began pouring tea into both cups.

"Would you like some tea?" Ashley made a bit of a face.

"I've never had tea." She said.

"Never?" She shook her head. "You have tea in your world?"

"Of course. I've just never thought of trying."

"Well, there's a first for everything." She said placing a cup into her hands. "Just give it a little sip." Ashley swirled the liquid in her cup for a moment then looked back to her friend who just smiled and nodded. She took a deep breath then finally brought the cup to her lips and took a tiny sip. And as the liquid entered her mouth, she made a face. "You don't like it?"

"It's bitter!" She said in a slightly cartoonistic voice.

"Would you like some sugar?" She asked.

"A _lot_ of it." Christine put a couple spoonfuls of sugar in her cup.

"We'll start with this much." Ashley sighed then took another sip.

"Well, it's better. But I don't think I can become much of a tea person." Christine started laughing.

"But you can live with it for a while?" She asked.

"For now." The girls burst out laughing. Ashley felt a slight bubble of joy in her chest as she sat with Christine.

"You know, you never told me who this other Christine is." The smile on her face had lessened a bit and she sighed.

"Christine is the made of my older sister." She said solemnly. Christine noticed when her eyes became gloomy.

"I'm sorry." Ashley shook her head.

"It's alright. I suppose I would have told you at some point." She said laughing mirthlessly. "That night, a few months ago, I sort of thought I saw my sister in a small fit of disorientation. It's pretty strange because my sister looks much different. Short hair, blond, blue eyes, sort of like-" but before she could say more, she let the words fade from her mind. "She's about two years older than I am."

"That's quite a difference." Christine said.

"Oh yeah, she dyes her hair pink." Christine's eyes widened.

"Pink hair?"

"Theater kids." She said shrugging. "I also have a younger brother who speaks tech talk and Spanish just to annoy me." Christine laughed. "He too has blond hair and blue eyes. I'm the only one with darker hair and hazel eyes, besides my dad."

"You can't all look alike."

"Yeah, well I was blond before, but my hair just kept getting darker. I liked my blond hair. But, enough of that."

"I'd like to know a bit more about your family." Christine said. Ashley began feeling uncomfortable.

"Um… there's a bit about my family that isn't too good." She warned. But she just looked at her determined to know everything. "Well, since we started with my sister, I'll start with her. Basically, my relationship with my sister wasn't too good when we were growing up. She and I mostly never got along. She adored my brother though. I was told it was basic sibling rivalry; since I was the second child the older sibling would have had to share the parent's affection. But, by the time my sister started college, she and I were able to become more… I wouldn't say we became close because with our history, but we're able to get along fine.

"My brother is about two years younger than me. When he was young, we were very close. Even now we are a loving sister and brother, even if we like picking on each other a lot. Whenever we would play video games he'd be able to complete it in less than a few days if he just kept at it, and I would always come to him for help when I was stuck somewhere. But one thing that really gets me is that as he got older, he just kept growing taller. Now he's taller than I am, making me the shortest out of the three of us. He'll even make sure to remind me all the time. He's also pretty good looking too. Now, I'm just saying this from a sister stand point. He never really has problems getting a girlfriend though.

"Now, my parents are a bit of a touchy subject. If you knew me when I was a child, you would understand why I'm the way I am." Christine continued watching her, waiting for her to press on. "Basically, my parents got a divorce when I was eight years old. I always knew they would split. Half the time I found them alone together, I could hear them fighting. What made things worse was they did split after we came home from a family vacation. For a child, seeing your parents constantly fighting then finally leaving each other, it hurts us the most. For a few years, my mom would constantly drag my dad to court over the stupidest things. She was mostly trying to get custody of the three of us and never let our father see us again. We barely realized what was going on though. After a while, the court dates stopped and my mom got remarried and my dad started dating again.

"My mother was a bit… I'm not sure how to put it. She's a compulsive liar, always telling us all these things about our father trying to get us to hate him, making up reasons why she started drinking, she would just tell us all this stuff. We began wising up to her as we got older, but there was nothing we can do about who she is. She also has a bit of a drinking problem. We would always find wine glasses hidden all over the place and sometimes in the most bizarre hiding places. She even used to drive us around with a box of wine in the car with her when we were still kids. There was also an incident some time ago where she had been drinking and she nearly got herself and my brother hit by a truck. Luckily, all three of us can drive now and had our own cars.

"Now, my dad is sort of a mix. He is a loving father, but he just…" Ashley sighed. "He would tell me that when I was a baby, I was his little girl. While I was a kid I would always play with him. You could say I was 'Daddy's little girl' in a way. But after the divorce, the relationship between us changed. But also, as I was getting older, he would still treat me as if I was a little kid. And, for a teenage girl living in the twenty first century, it's not cool. When my dad started dating again, we met quite a few of the women he was going out with. One was a royal… I can't say this with you here, but she wasn't too nice to us. Another, she was very nice. She even got along with my sister, which is a very rare thing. But she wanted to have kids of her own, and my dad wasn't keen on the idea since he already had us. After her, he has his current girlfriend. My sister and she never got along. My brother certainly doesn't like her. As for me, I just didn't want to start a conflict, so I would try to keep the peace and be polite.

"That's basically my family in a nutshell." She turned to her friend and smiled sadly. "I was very relieved when I was able to go away to college. I was able to get away from all the drama at home and live somewhere where I could be to myself. But, when I went to school, it was also kind of nerve wracking. It takes a while for me to get use to a new place. I had to start from scratch and make new friends. And being a girl who was extremely shy, that's not easy. But when I do make friends, when I'm able to warm up to people, I can open up to them. Let them see the real me."

"Much like now." Christine said touching her shoulder. "You were able to tell me all this and you seemed very comfortable doing so." A smile cracked on her lips hearing her say that.

"I suppose so." She admitted. "But, even in such a stressful situation, there was something that I always had to comfort me."

"What was that?" The brunette asked.

"Music." She said. "For the longest time, music has always been my way of releasing all my pent up emotions and just expressing what was in my heart. All throughout school, from grade school to high school, I would join a choir class and would enjoy every moment of it. I just loved to sing so much, I thought about making it my career. But…" She let her voice trail off.

"But?" Christine echoed. Ashley turned towards the window and watched as the rain poured down upon the city.

"…but when I said that's what I wanted, I was shot down. I was told that I would never get anywhere with such a dream." Ashley felt on the verge of tears, but she took a few deep breaths and went on. "After a while, I decided to go into Atmospheric Science. It seemed like a fascinating field, and I was fairly good in math and science, so it seemed like a good idea."

"But music was still more important?" She queried. Ashley nodded.

"Yes. Always has been, always will be." She turned back to her friend. "No matter what, I will continue to have music on my mind. I will always have a song in my heart. Even if I can't have my dream, I will make sure that it can stay with me, even if I can't share it with the world." Christine touched her cheek and smiled.

"Ashley, you are a wonderful person." Ashley was taken aback by her words. "You're kind, loving, bright, and you hardly ever think of yourself. And I have noticed that you've come out of your shell quite a bit since you've been here. And your music is absolutely wonderful. I can't understand why someone would say such a dream is ridiculous." Ashley felt so moved by Christine's words. No one has told her such things before and it made her feel happy to hear them. As tears began springing to her eyes, she jumped into her arms into a tight embrace and began weeping.

"Thank you so much." She whispered. Christine hugged her back and stroked her hair.

"I meant every word." She said which caused her to cry harder.

After about half an hour of bawling her eyes out, Ashley realized how tired she was, whether it was from the emotional roller coaster she was just on or her fever she didn't really care. So it was about time for her to go back to sleep. Christine smiled as she watched the older girl sleep. She seemed much happier now that she was able to get all those problems off her chest. She could tell that she must have been holding so much in for the longest time and it felt so good to finally let it all out.

"I guess even girls from other worlds have problems." She said. She grabbed the tray she had brought up and made her leave.

Just as Ashley said, she managed to make a full recovery before her performance. Mostly because she just stayed in bed and slept. But by the appointed day, she was ready and eager to go out on stage.

"We're glad to know you're feeling better." Meg said.

"I feel good as new!" Ashley exclaimed. "In more ways than one." She looked over towards Christine and winked. Christine caught her and winked back. "Alright, I better give them what they want." And she made her way out onto the stage. As she walked out, she was greeted by a roar of applause. She raised her hands to silence the audience then began speaking.

"Before I begin, I would like to thank you all for coming to see me. Now, I'm sure none of you know about how I came to be here, and frankly, neither do I." The crowd began laughing. "I didn't really have a choice when I left my world and woke up here. I had left behind my family, my friends; I basically left behind my life as I knew it. On one side of my mind, I was very relieved that I left home, because I had left behind a life that had cause me nothing but a lifetime of turmoil and stress. I won't deny, I hated my life back home because I had a pretty rough life. But at the same time, there's another side of me that really missed that world. I had friends that cared about me and the experiences I've had. I have memories both good and bad there, but its home either way. So, I dedicate this song to my world and to this one. Because, I know, my heart will lead me home." She pressed the play button on her iPod and the music began to play.

_Sunny days and starry nights_  
><em>And lazy afternoons<em>  
><em>You're counting castles in the clouds<em>  
><em>And humming little tunes<em>

_But somehow right before your eyes_  
><em>The summer fades away<em>  
><em>Everything is different<em>  
><em>And everything has changed<em>

_If you feel lost and on your own_  
><em>And far from home<em>  
><em>You're never alone, you know<em>

_Just think of your friends_  
><em>The ones who care<em>  
><em>They all will be waiting there<em>  
><em>With love to share<em>  
><em>And your heart will lead you home<em>

_Funny how a photograph_  
><em>can take you back in time<em>  
><em>To places and embraces<em>  
><em>That you thought you'd left behind<em>

_They're trying to remind you_  
><em>That you're not the only one<em>  
><em>That no one is an island<em>  
><em>When all is said and done<em>

_If you feel lost and on your own_  
><em>And far from home<em>  
><em>You're never alone, you know<em>

_Just think of your friends_  
><em>The ones who care<em>  
><em>They all will be waiting there<em>  
><em>With love to share<em>  
><em>And your heart will lead you home<em>

_There'll come a day when you're losing your way_  
><em>And you won't know where you belong<em>

_They say that "home is where your heart is"_  
><em>So follow your heart and know that you can't go wrong<em>

_If you feel lost and on your own_  
><em>And far from home<em>  
><em>You're never alone, you know<em>

_Just think of your friends_  
><em>The ones who care<em>  
><em>They all will be waiting there<em>  
><em>With love to share<em>  
><em>And your heart will lead you home<em>

_If you feel lost and on your own_  
><em>And far from home<em>  
><em>You're never alone, you know<em>

_Just think of your friends_  
><em>The ones who care<em>  
><em>They all will be waiting there<em>  
><em>With love to share<em>  
><em>And your heart will lead where you belong<em>  
><em>I know your heart will lead you home<em>

As the last of the music played, Ashley could feel tears begin streaming down her face. She felt somehow liberated now. She looked over to Christine who was nodding to her and she smiled. Somehow, she felt like everything would be okay from here on out.

* * *

><p>The song in this chapter is <strong>Your Heart Will Lead You Home<strong> by _Kenny Loggins_ from The Tigger Movie. I kind of thought that I should help give Ashley and Christine have a bit of a sisterly connection and Meg as a best friend kind of connection. When I started writing this chapter, I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it since I'm trying to just have chapters here before I get to the Masquerade Ball on New Years. But when I started her talking about her family, I thought that it was going pretty well and then I thought of Your Heart Will Lead You Home as a great song to use for the chapter.

So, once again, please review. Reviews are good! Thank you. I GO BACK TO COLLEGE ON SUNDAY!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_December_

Ashley was very excited. December was finally here and that meant that Christmas was upon her and then came New Year. It's funny, as she thought about the Masquerade Ball coming up, she began feeling thrilled. The thought of seeing the Phantom in all his Phantomy glory was making her as giddy as an otaku at an anime convention. But she was also nervous because of the same reason. He was indeed an intimidating person and she had a feeling he would not be happy about her random performances the past few months. But it was worth it.

At the moment, Ashley was sitting on her bed with some paper in her lap and a pencil in her hand. She was currently sketching her ball dress from Alice in the Country of Hearts. She had even taken down her own measurements just for the hell of it. She had little tabs pointing to different parts of the dress saying what colors they would be and what they'd be made from. She also put in big bold print: **Blue! Not Pink!** Ashley wasn't a big fan of wearing pink. It was about a week until Christmas and she was more than eager to celebrate with Christine and Meg.

"Ashley, what are you doing up here by yourself?" Speak of the devil; Meg came into the room still in her costume. Ashley quickly threw her drawing under her pillow.

"Um, nothing." She said hastily.

"Christine and I were about to do some shopping. Why don't you come with us?" Ashley thought about it for a while. She has spent just about all her time at the opera house since she arrived, going out would be a nice change.

"Sure, why not." Meg squealed and hugged her.

"Great! Now, we're going to leave in a few minutes, so be ready to go when I come back." She said and ran from the room. Ashley sighed then pulled her drawing out from under her pillow. As she stared at the dress, a funny thought entered her mind.

"I wonder what would happen if he saw me wearing this." She shook her head then folded the paper and stuck it under her pillow again before reaching under her bed to grab her cloak.

"Ashley, ready to go?" Meg asked returning to the room.

"In a second. Just need to grab…" She stuck herself under the bed to get a better reach. Meg approached the frustrated girl and chuckled. She quickly glanced towards her pillow and saw a piece of paper sticking out. She quietly reached over and picked it up then carefully unfolded it to see the drawing of the dress. She looked down at Ashley again and the wheels in her head began turning.

"Say, Ashley. Have you thought about going to the Masquerade on New Years?" She asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure." She called out. "I'm not really comfortable at such events. Besides, I don't even have something to where." Meg smirked at her last statement then quickly tucked the slip of paper into her dress just as Ashley had pulled herself out with her cloak. "I'm ready when you are."

The three girls spent a good amount of time walking the streets, every now and again peaking into the windows of shops. At a couple jewelry stores, Ashley would stop and stare at the beautifully crafted rings and necklaces until either Meg or Christine would pull her away.

"Sorry, I had a knack for looking at all things shiny." She admitted feeling a bit embarrassed.

"You're a girl, you can't help it." Meg said and they continued on their way. After a little while more, they stopped in front of a stand that sold various accessories from necklaces to hair pins. Ashley decided that she would do a little browsing.

_I still need to find Christmas presents for Meg, Christine, and Mme Giry._ She thought. She had saved a substantial amount of money from her work as Mme Giry's assistant but didn't accept any money from her singing.

"_The only payment I need for music is to share it with the world."_ She told them.

After a few moments, she managed to pick out some items. She got Christine a silver necklace with a treble clef charm, Meg's was a beautifully crafted bracelet that had little flowers, berries, and leaves carved into the design, and for Mme Giry, a silver clip with a lovely intricate design with gem stones and a black stone right in the center. She wasn't exactly sure of her gifts, but she knew that she wanted to get them at least a little something.

"What did you buy?" Christine asked.

"It's a secret." She said holding a finger to her lips.

"Can't you tell me?" Ashley shook her head.

"It's a surprise."

"Fine. Anyway, Raoul said he would like to meet us for lunch in a little while." She took her hand and went to find Meg. They found her coming out of the tailor's shop with a large grin on her face.

"You ready to find Raoul?" She asked cheerfully.

"I don't like that look on your face Meg." Ashley said warily. "What were you doing in there?"

"Oh, nothing." But before Ashley could question the blond any further, she began walking in the opposite direction. "We don't want to be late!"

As they arrived at the restraint, Raoul was sitting at a large circular table looking around every now and again for the girls. When he finally caught sight of them, he came up to them.

"You made it. I decided to wait for you all to arrive before I ordered." Ashley giggled.

"Quite the gentleman you are monsieur." She said slightly teasing him.

"It's rare to see you out and about Miss Ashley." He said and took her hand and placed a kiss on it. Ashley made a very uncomfortable face. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing; just I'm not use to this sort of thing." She said. "You don't see this kind of genteel in the twenty first century."

"It's been over six months and she's yet to adjust to her new lifestyle." Meg said.

"That and the fact I haven't left the opera house _once_ since I came here." Ashley added.

"That can be a problem." Raoul said. "But, we can continue this conversation once we've sat down." He led the three girls over to the table he was at. Christine sat next to Raoul on his right and Meg on his left and Ashley in between the girls. "So, Ashley, your monthly performances seem to be getting a lot of attention."

"I suppose." She said. "The only reason I agreed to them was because I love to sing. I'm not sure how much longer this will last so I want to make the most of the time I've been given."

"What do you mean?" Christine asked.

"Well, I just have my whits about me at the moment. You know, it's just that feeling where you know something will happen but you don't know when or where." She took a sip of water before continuing. "For example, there may be a chance I do find a way back home and I decide to go. I want to share the music of my world with this one as much as I can."

"I guess there's some logic there." Meg said. "But if there was a way back to your world, wouldn't you have found it by now?" Ashley looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Yes. But, it's strange. The more time I spend here, the less I think of my home. Now whenever I think of the life I use to have and what I almost had, I realize just how unhappy I've been for the longest time. I want to go home because I have my friends and family there and everything is familiar. I'd live the life that I was going to take on." By now, she was just rambling to herself, vaguely aware of the others around her.

"But do you really want to go home?" Raoul asked. Ashley thought for a moment. Did she really want to go home? Back to a world that has caused her pain but has also great joy? For the longest time, Ashley has only looked back on the worst times in her life from the divorce of her parents to the present. But she noticed that since she arrived in this world, there was something telling her that she didn't want to go back. Some niggling feeling in the back of her mind was telling her that she needed to stay.

"I… I'm not sure." She answered. "I know I should go back… but… at the same time… I don't want to." She turned to look out of a window on the far end of the room. The sun was bright and people were happily walking the streets. "My mind is just feeling…"

"I'm sure when the time comes; you'll make your decision." Christine said touching her hand. Ashley smiled and nodded to her friend. "For now try not to think about it. Just enjoy the time you already have."

Ashley decided not to give a show this month because of all the preparations for Christmas and the Masquerade Ball. She said that she might give a little show at the ball if there was time. Days flew by and before she knew it, it was Christmas Eve. For the first time since she arrived, Ashley felt the loneliness of her situation begin to sink in. She had no family to celebrate with and it would be the first time she spent Christmas away from home.

"Say, why don't you come stay with us for Christmas?" Meg said. Ashley looked at the girl feeling a bit confused.

"Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn't want to impose on you." Meg just laughed.

"You're too nice, do you know that?" Ashley quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "Maman would be glad to have you over. Besides, you don't want to be here all alone, would you?"

"No, I suppose not." She said in defeat. "I would love to spend Christmas with you and your mother."

By Christmas morning, Ashley had felt a new swell of joy come over her. She felt somehow overjoyed to be waking up in this world and spending Christmas with the Giry's.

"Christine said that Raoul wanted to spend the day with her so we might not see her today." Meg explained.

"Then she'll have to wait for her present until tomorrow if I don't see her." Ashley said.

"Speaking of presents, what did you get me?" Ashley just shook her head.

"You just have to wait until your mother gets here." And, as if on cue, Mme Giry came in holding a tray of tea.

"I know you're both eager so just get started on your presents." The two girls squealed with delight. Ashley gave the Giry's their presents and they both seemed very pleased with what they received which gave Ashley a bit more closure that she hadn't failed in her gift shopping.

"Now, about _your_ present." Meg said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "This one is for you." She handed Ashley a large white box. The twenty year old eyed her present for a moment then looked back at her friend cautiously.

"Should I be afraid?" She asked.

"No, you should be really excited!" Said the young blond. Ashley sighed then made to open the box. And as she opened the lid, she was greeted by a blue dress. More specifically, the dress from her drawing. She looked at Meg then back at the dress. There was even a matching mask sitting on top.

"Meg… is… is this-" But before she could finish, Meg held up the picture.

"I remembered how you said you didn't have a dress for the Masque, and when I found this drawing I thought maybe this dress would be suitable for you to wear." Ashley pulled the dress from the box and gave it a once over. Every detail was to a T and as she looked at the mask, she knew Meg had gone quite a ways to have this done for her. Ashley felt tears stinging the back of her eyes and she dropped the box with the dress and hugged her.

"Thank you so much!" She cried. Meg hugged her back and let her have a moment.

"Merry Christmas Ashley." She replied.

A few more days came and went, and before anyone knew it, the day of the Masquerade was only one day away. Ashley was beginning to feel her stomach doing back flips from how nervous she was. Because tomorrow was the night that the Phantom, dressed as the Red Death, would make his presence known once more and rehearsals on his upcoming opera would commence. She went over to the hook by her bed that held her dress and sighed. She had been feeling so confident before, but now with the awareness of how everything was going had caught up to her.

"Tomorrow's the big night." She said to herself. "Let's just see how things turn out." She figured she could use some fresh air so she grabbed her cloak and made her way to the roof. As she stepped out, she looked up at the cloud covered sky for some time. Then her eyes began to widen and her face shown a look of amazement.

"It's snowing." A light snow had begun to fall. Ashley just stood there watching as the snowflakes fell. Suddenly, her fears, her worries, her terrible feelings all melted away. She began feeling a sense of peace once more after so long.

_wasurenai...__  
><em>_ima wa mou choppiri setsunaku__  
><em>_mata aeru ne, to nan ni mo utagawazu ni ita_

_terekusai kara__  
><em>_kaidan no kage machiawaseta_

_ano hi wo, wasurenai__  
><em>_suna ga mau hi ga ochiru__  
><em>_nagaku nobiru__  
><em>_futatsu no kage mi nagara waratta yo ne_

_omoi wa wasurenai__  
><em>_nido to modorenai kedo__  
><em>_HAJIMETE NO ITOSHISA__  
><em>_dakishimete ima demo_

_mou ichido aeta nara__  
><em>_tsutaetai koto ya kikitai koto ga__  
><em>_takusan aru kigasuru kedo_

_"sou aritai" to negaeta__  
><em>_kimi no yume wa ima wa?_

_ano hi wo, wasurenai__  
><em>_okujou de kiita kyoku__  
><em>_hitotsu no IYAFON__  
><em>_shi no imi mo wakarazu ni naiteta yo ne_

_omoi wa wasurenai__  
><em>_toki wa tomaranai kara__  
><em>_yasashisa to itoshisa__  
><em>_dakishimeru Good-bye, My days.__  
><em>_dakishimeru Good-bye, My days._

As she let the last note fade, she couldn't help but think back to her world. Is anyone still looking for her? Do they think she's dead? Maybe she was kidnapped? Did she run away? All these questions were swirling around in her mind. But, at that moment, nothing really mattered to her anymore.

* * *

><p>The song in this chapter is <strong>My Days<strong> by _Rika Komatsu_ from the anime Tokyo Mew Mew. I was really into Tokyo Mew Mew for a while, explaining a few of the fan fiction I have written before. But this is a very pretty song and I thought that with Ashley up on the roof looking at the snow, this seemed like a good song to put in. I couldn't find an english translation so if anyone takes the time to find one, good for you. Anyways, the dress Ashley got is one of the many ball gowns shown in the manga Alice in the Country of Hearts adn it's a really pretty dress. The one I chose is the one shown on the cover page for chapter 27 with a chibi Peter and Vivaldi.

So, get readyfolks because next chapter is the infamous Masquerade scene. This is going to be fun!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The day of the Masquerade was here. Everyone was hustling and bustling to have the opera house prepared for the ball. Ashley was currently modeling her dress in front of the mirror. The dress was absolutely gorgeous and made her feel like Alice when she was going to her own engagement party, minus the exhaustion and slight snappiness. She was still deciding what she should do with her hair. She started playing with the wavy tresses and sighed. She thought about maybe curling them but she didn't know how. She could pin some of it back. She just threw her hands down and threw herself on her bed.

"Something wrong?" Ashley turned to see Christine waking in.

"I don't know what to do with my hair." She whined. Christine laughed.

"I guess even you can act like a girl every now and again." She teased.

"Hey! Just because I'm not one for dresses and all that crap doesn't mean I don't have those split seconds of femininity!" But that didn't stop Christine from laughing more.

"Why don't I help you find a style?" She pulled a chair out in front of the mirror and gestured for Ashley to sit. She got up from the bed and sat in the chair. "How do you want it?"

"I don't know." She replied. "Just surprise me."

"Very well." She said and began work on her hair.

"_ARGH!" Ashley grunted sitting in front of the mirror. "I can't keep the stupid pin in!" She tried pushing the hair pin onto the strand of hair under her finger but it only popped back out again. "This is not working at all."_

"_You're worrying too much." Ashley looked into the mirror and saw her masked man standing in the shadows._

"_I have to worry. Tonight we're having a big party and the dress code is formal attire. Man, I hate when I have to dress up all pretty." She barely noticed that he had made his way over to her until he took the hair pin from her hand and let the stray hair fall down._

"_Let me see if I can help." He said before taking the strand and finding a place where the pin wouldn't pop. Ashley felt her cheeks heat up as she felt his hands on her head. It's been a little close to a month since she arrived and also since they had begun their secret voice lessons for the competition. She wouldn't deny, at first she was very afraid of him. But as they spent more and more time together, she began feeling warm and fuzzy whenever she saw him. "There, that should hold it."_

"_Thanks. Will you meet me at our special place?" She asked._

"_If you wish." He replied. He suddenly noticed the slight color on her face and he brought his hand to her cheek and turned her to face him. "Are you feeling well? Your face is red." Ashley nervously brought her hands to her face._

"_I'm alright. Just a little… you know?" She gave an anxious laugh then lent over to put on her shoes. "I suppose I should go. Being one of the finalists, I'm expected to be down there before people arrive." As she got up to leave, she felt him grab her hand and she turned to him. When she looked into his eyes she saw something that she'd noticed for a couple of weeks now. But she couldn't seem to place what it was._

"_Come to the roof at eight. I'll be waiting for you." He said and Ashley's heart skipped a beat. She could feel herself trembling slightly, but in a good way. He always seemed to have a way of making her so nuts._

"'_Kay." She said and he reluctantly let go of her hand._

"_Until later then." He said and Ashley turned to leave. When she exited the room she leaned up against the wall with her hand holding onto her heart. She could feel it pounding so fast she thought it would burst._

"_Is this what love feels like?" She thought out loud. Her heart pounded every time she saw him, his voice was always the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, just the way he would say her name made her feel giddy, and he was constantly on her mind. She was in love with the Phantom of the Opera. But did he love her?_

"_Ashley, there you are. Everyone's been waiting for you." She began being pulled down the corridors by one of the previous contestants._

_As the party commenced, all Ashley did was stand near the wall and keep checking her watch. In a few more minutes she would make her way up to the roof to meet with her beloved Phantom. But before that, she had to wait until people started dancing and distracting themselves._

"_Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the Finalist Ball." One of the judges, Reagan, stood atop the stairs in the foyer addressing the throng of people. "We have had a very productive month here in this world and competitors have come and go. But, tomorrow will be the final show, where one of our finalists will win the ultimate prize! Their greatest wish, no matter what it might be, would be granted to them!" The crowd erupted with applause. "Enjoy your evening. Dance the night away, listen to the enchanting music, and let your cares drift away with the hours."_

_Now was Ashley's chance to escape to the roof. She snuck out one of the side exits and made her way through the hallways. She finally found the familiar stairs that led up and began her climb. When she finally reached the roof, she first peered through the window on the door to see if he was waiting for her. Sure enough, he was. She opened the door and he turned to her with a smile on his face._

"_I'm not late, am I?" She asked. He came over and took her hand and brought it to his lips._

"_Right on time." He said. Her face turned red at his gentility but tried oh so hard to keep herself from jumping into his arms and kissing him senseless. He brought her towards the center of the four statues and bowed to her. "Mademoiselle, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Ashley felt so much like giggling but did her best to keep her composure._

"_Monsieur, the honor would be entirely mine." She said and offered him her hand. He took it and pulled her towards him placing his other hand on her back while she placed hers on his arm. "I must warn you, I can't dance to save my life."_

"_Just follow my lead." He said before sweeping her away in a slow waltz. They could barely hear the music playing from inside but they weren't really listening to it. They were listening to their own music. Even if there wasn't anything playing, even if the music had changed from a slow song to a rock-and-roll song they only heard their special music. Ashley felt like she was a princess dancing with her dark and mysterious rouge instead of a boring old prince. After a while, they had stopped dancing and simply stared at each other._

"_Ashley, are you happy here with me?" He asked._

"_More than I've been in a long time." Ashley said. "This time I've spent with you, it's been the happiest moments of my life." She leaned her head against his chest and he brought his hand to rest on her head. When Ashley looked out to the sky, she saw a light shoot across the sky. "A shooting star!" She said and ran to the edge of the roof and watched as many more shooting stars flew across the sky. The Phantom came up next to her and saw the excited look on her face and felt his heart fill with something he'd never felt before_

"_Ashley." She turned her head back to face him and saw that look in his eyes again. Only now did she realize what it was. Before she knew exactly what was going on, they began moving closer to one another and he leaned his head down towards her and she stood on her tip toe to meet him with a heart melting kiss._

My first kiss._ She thought. _I could never have a more perfect kiss than this.

_They pulled away after a few seconds then looked to each other with absolute love and devotion written in their expressions. Then they came back together for another kiss, only this one filled with untamed passion. Ashley could feel him coursing through every part of her body from her head all the way down to her toes and she knew that no one else could give her such a wonderful sensation. He lifted her up into his arms and swung her around causing her to laugh uncontrollably until he caught her with another kiss._

"_I love you." He whispered in her ear before pressing his forehead against her own. Ashley felt like crying now. He DID love her!_

"_I love you too."_

"Ashley."

"Huh?" She looked up at the young brunette in confusion.

"I said I'm finished with your hair." Ashley looked in the mirror and saw that Christine had brought some of her hair back into a small bun with some curled strands hanging down. The rest of her hair she had dampened a bit so that it would become wavier and also placed a fake white rose in the bun. "What do you think?"

"Christine, it looks great." She said happily. "Thanks a lot." She got up from her chair and hugged her.

"Now, grab your mask. We should make our way downstairs now." She said and began leading her from the room.

The masquerade was now in full swing. Everyone was dancing and singing and music was playing.

_Masquerade!  
>Paper faces on parade<br>Masquerade!  
><em>_Hide your face, so the world will never find you_

_Masquerade!  
>Every face a different shade<br>Masquerade!  
>Look around there's another mask behind you<em>

As all the dancers gracefully made their way on the dance floor, Ashley just kept her eyes open for any signs of the Phantom. The thought of finally seeing him face-to-face was exciting her. For the longest time she had dreamt of meeting him and now her dreams would be realized. She almost felt like having a fangirl moment when she saw Meg and Mme Giry making their way down the steps.

_What a night!  
>What a crowd!<br>Makes you glad_

_Makes you proud!  
>All the crème<br>de la crème!_

_Watching us watching them!  
>And all our fears are in the past!<em>

_Six months…  
>Of relief!<br>Of delight!  
>Of Elysian peace!<br>And we can breathe at last!_

_No more notes!  
>No more ghost!<br>Here's a health!  
>Here's a toast: to a prosperous year!<br>To our friends who are here!_

_And may its splendor (Six months!) never fade! (What a joy!)  
>What a change!<br>What a blessed release!_

"_And what a masquerade!"_ Ashley decided to add in.

"Are you having fun yet?" Meg asked.

"It's hard to have fun when you're in a crowd of people." Ashley retorted.

"Try to at least have a little fun." Then she grabbed her and dragged onto the dance floor where they began dancing with each other.

"Can't I go back to my wall?" Ashley pleaded.

"Nope! You're not getting out of this so easily!" Of course, with all the dancers around them, it would have been hard for her to escape either way. After a moment, Ashley noticed Christine and Raoul appear a short ways away from them. So far, everything seemed perfect. Everyone was enjoying themselves, the music was energetic, and there was no sign of a Red Death anywhere.

Now they were coming to the climax of the event. Just about everyone gathered onto the steps for the final number and Meg went to join her mother while Ashley went to join Christine and Raoul.

_Masquerade!  
>Paper faces on parade!<br>Masquerade!  
><em>_Hide your face so the world will never find you!_

_Masquerade!  
>Every face a different shade!<br>Masquerade!  
>Look around, there's another mask behind you!<em>

_Masquerade!  
>Burning glances, turning heads…<br>Masquerade!  
>Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!<em>

_Masquerade!  
>Grinning yellows, spinning reds…<br>Masquerade!  
>Take your fill let the spectacle astound you!<em>

But as quickly as the joy and excitement began, it was only a matter of time before it went to hell. For on the top of the steps, dressed in crimson with a skull-like mask, was the Phantom. Everyone in the room gasped and the managers' faces became pale. Christine moved closer to Raoul and Ashley could only stare up at him feeling that twinge of fear begin to grow.

_Why so silent, good messieurs?  
>Did you think that I had left you for good?<br>Have you missed me good messieurs?  
>I have written you an opera!<em>

_Here I bring the finished score  
>'Don Juan Triumphant'!<em>

He tossed the leather bound score to the managers and Andre managed to catch it.

_Fondest greeting to you all  
>A few instructions just before rehearsal starts<br>Carlotta must be taught to act  
>Not her normal trick of strutting round the stage.<em>

_Our Don Juan must lose some weight  
>it's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age.<br>And my managers must learn  
>that their place is in an office, not the arts.<em>

Ashley could feel her heart race as he descended the stairs, bashing the people who had crossed him before he disappeared.

"And… speaking of which," He began looking over the crowd as if looking for something, or someone, "I believe that in a absence, you allowed an inexperienced singer upon my stage and let her do as she pleased… _without my consent_." He practically growled the last few words.

"Monsieur le Phantom, please don't be angry with her!" Andre pleaded. "It was completely our doing! We pressured her into singing when she knew there might be consequences and-"

"But I still agreed to it!" All head snapped in the direction of the young lady next to Christine Daae, dressed in a blue and white ball gown and wearing a blue mask. "It's true; they did press me to go on stage. In the beginning I wanted nothing to do with singing here because I knew you would not approve. But I knew that I could not deny it much longer. I wanted to sing. But I settled on only singing once a month, monsieur."

"Is that right?" The Phantom said with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. He drew his sword and pointed it at her. "Remove your mask." He ordered. "I want to see your face, little girl." Being called 'little girl' made Ashley want to shout something not too pleasant back to him. But she held her tongue and made to take off the mask. She held onto it as she undid the tie in the back the slowly revealed her face to him. And when she did, he gasped a little then backed up the stairs and dropped his sword. This surprised her since she wasn't expecting such a reaction.

"Impossible." He whispered and everyone began chattering confusedly. Ashley just looked up at him holding her ground. He reached down for his sword then replaced it into its sheath. "State your name." He said in a more monotone voice.

"Ashley." She replied.

"Your _full_ name." He growled and Ashley jumped slightly at his tone.

"Ashley White." She stated. She saw the look in his eyes go from anger to fear, confusion, desire, then back to a raging fury.

"I don't believe you!" He shouted.

"Why not? It's my name so why do you not believe so?" She shot back.

"Because Ashley White died six year ago!"

Ashley felt her blood run cold. She could not believe what he just said.

_Died? Six years-_ Six years ago…

He turned and made his way back up the steps then evaporated into a flaming vortex brought on by a trap door. But this time, Raoul did not go after him. Ashley was still in shock.

_Six years ago?_ His words continued to ring inside her head. She felt as if she had entered a nightmare. She suddenly felt pressure on her shoulder and looked up to see Madame Giry looking down at her.

"Ashley, I need you to follow me." She grabbed her by her upper arm and hoisted her to her feet. "I need you to come with me. I can explain everything."

* * *

><p>The songs used here were <strong>Masquerade<strong> and **Why So Silent** both from The Phantom of the Opera. So we've survived the Masquerade scene, now comes the tricky part. Ashley needs to get answers for this little episode the Phantom pulled on her. I'll make sure that they get together very soon, but first, we need to get them to come to grips with what's in front of them. So, be prepared for the next chapter, because I have only so much time left before I go back to school and it's going to be a pain trying to find time to write chapters.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Madame Giry, slow down!" Ashley said trying to keep up with the older woman. "Where are you taking me?"

"Ashley, please. There is very little time and you are in terrible danger." She said.

"But you haven't told me why! What the hell is going on?" She pulled her hand from the woman's grasp. "Please, Madame Giry. Tell me what just happened. What is going on?" Mme Giry sighed then took her hand once more.

"I will explain everything in a moment." She turned towards a door then pushed Ashley inside before entering herself and locking it behind her. Ashley recognized this room. It was the room that she would have brought Raoul into if he fell into the mirror chamber and start talking about the Phantom's past. She started rummaging through some boxes obviously looking for something. Ashley sat down in one of the chairs and just looked around for a moment until Mme Giry came over to her carrying what appeared to be a stack of newspaper articles.

"What are these for?" She asked.

"I want you to read some of them." Ashley looked down at the one on the top of the pile and began carefully reading it.

"_The fifteenth annual Across the Universe musical competition began making preparations for the arrival of their up and coming young competitors. The competition will once again be held at the famous Opera Populaire as it has since the beginning…."_

Ashley reread some of the passages and was finding it hard to comprehend what it was saying. She placed the article aside then started on a new one.

"_Week 2 of the competition has passed and a few more students have been sent packing. But the judges seem to have their eyes on one particular singer named Ashley White. For it seems that for an amateur singer, with each passing show, her voice grows stronger and much more toned than when she began which gets them wondering: 'Is she constantly disciplining herself or is someone teaching her behind everyone's back?'…"_

Ashley decided to put this one aside as well and took one from closer to the bottom.

"_Turmoil ensues at the Opera Populaire as, when finals have been completed and our champion won, said champion, Ashley White, disappeared after a mysterious smokescreen filled the theater. And amongst the chaos, snatched away by whom everyone believes to be the infamous Opera Ghost himself. At this very moment, police are working hard to find a way into the Phantom's lair to retrieve the missing girl…"_

"I… I don't believe this." She said lowering the pile in her hands.

"You had best believe it." Mme Giry warned. "It all really happened. The girl was indeed found by the police, but in an attempt to keep her away from them, the Phantom tried escaping with her. He only succeeded in getting them caught. She pleaded with them to let him go but they would hear nothing of it. Before they were to put him to death, she jumped in front of him and took that bullet that was meant for him. She died instantly." Ashley remembered when she had collapsed on the roof some months ago. She had seen a bunch of images flashing before her eyes, one of them was she lying in a pool of her blood.

"This can't be real." She whispered.

"I just told you-"

"That was only a dream." She said. Madame Giry gave her a questioning look.

"What did you say?" Ashley looked at the older woman and knew she wanted her to elaborate.

"I know most of this. The competition, the smokescreen, my singing improving because of him. He was the reason that I had gotten so far and he was the reason I wanted to stay." Mme Giry's eyebrows shot up after hearing her words.

"Ashley, you mean to tell me that you are the one that Erik was mentioning?" Ashley looked over at her.

"So his name is Erik." She said. "I didn't know if he did have that name in this world." She laughed a little. "But to answer your question, I'm not sure. But I do remember the arrival; my first night at the opera house was when I first met Erik. I had fallen down a trap door whose hinges were obviously old and worn out making it too weak to support someone like me. I fell down much farther an anticipated and wound up down in his home. I heard him playing the piano off in the distance and I followed the music to where he was and… as I listened, I started humming… then he found me and…" Ashley began letting her mind wonder back to that time completely forgetting everything that had transpired. "…he promised me… he would never let me go." Mme Giry could not believe what she was hearing. This girl was able to explain, in detail no less, what had happened.

"Ashley, you are the girl he was speaking of." Ashley looked back to the older woman with shock all over her face.

"But… that can't be. That was only a dream!" She repeated. "I had that dream when I was-"

"Fourteen years old?" She finished. Ashley was beyond words now. Everything was starting to rush back to her.

"If it wasn't a dream… how did I end up back in my bed the next morning?" She wondered.

"Not even I can answer that dear." She admitted.

"He mentioned that I died. But I can't remember seeing myself dying at the time." She pressed her hands to her head trying to remember if there was something she had forgotten.

"Perhaps if you don't remember it now, you will eventually." Mme Giry suggested. But then Ashley recalled the roof.

"Madame, remember how a few months ago I was found on the roof?" She nodded. "I don't think it was from exhaustion like the doctor said. Before I fainted, I saw these images of myself and Erik running from the police. But we were caught. Right before Erik could be killed; I jumped in the way and was shot instead. I saw myself lying in my own blood with Erik shouting my name." Ashley began feeling emotionally drained. All that she believed was just her imagination was actually a faint memory.

"But you have returned." Mme Girl moved closer to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Erik would be overjoyed to know you're alive."

"But he hates me right now." She reminded her. "Or do I need to bring you back to what happened only ten minutes ago." Ashley got up from her seat. "I should get to bed. This really left me tired."

"Just be careful." She turned back to the ballet mistress and nodded before unlocking the door and quietly exiting the room.

The next day, Ashley didn't exactly want to leave her room. The thought of running into the Phantom had just about scared her into submission. The way he looked at her and spoke to her made her more frightened than a child hiding from the boogeyman. At the same time, she needed the time to think over what she had learned afterwards. When the thought had finally sunk in, she felt her heart breaking because she knew that Erik was furious with her.

"How can I make him see?" She said to herself. She pulled her pillow from under her head and pressed it to her face. Right now, everyone was in the manager's office going over the score of Don Juan and receiving more demands from the Opera Ghost. It wouldn't be a good idea if she went to sing on stage, but she needed to find some way to get through to him. She soon began humming Hushabye Mountain against her pillow trying to lull herself to sleep. Then it hit her.

"OF COURSE!"

That night, Ashley felt even more nervous than her previous shows. Because, this one, she knew that he would be watching. She peaked out from behind the curtain up towards Box Five and saw a slight movement in the shadows of the box. She darted back behind the curtain and clutched at her heart. Not long before she came down, she had left a short note in his box and on the envelope said "Do NOT open until the end of the performance". She just hoped he would get the message. She took a couple deep breaths trying to calm her already frazzled nerves.

"Mademoiselle, you don't have to go out there." Firmin said to her. "If the Phantom told you not to, I wouldn't want to press him further."

"I have to do this sir." She said. "This will be the very last that I ever do." And with that being said, she slowly walked onto the stage and looked out upon a full house. She looked up into Box Five and managed to catch a glimpse of Erik's angered face.

_He's definitely pissed._ She thought.

"Everyone, these past few months have been great. But I'm afraid that this will be the last time you'll see me up here." The audience broke into confused murmuring. "I never should have started this in the first place. I knew the consequences of doing this but I went and did it anyways. So, I hope you all enjoy this last song."

Erik watched from his box as the young girl finished her little speech. He should have warned her not to return to his stage that day but he made the mistake of believing she would just assume that was what he implied the other night. He looked over the envelope left on the seat and shook his head.

"_What does she think she's trying to pull?"_ He said to himself. He made to leave the box, intending to give her a final warning but stopped then he heard an all too familiar melody echoing throughout the theater. He turned back to see Ashley preparing to sing.

_A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain  
>Softly blows on Lullaby Bay<br>It fills the sails of boats that are waiting  
>Waiting to sail your worries away<em>

_It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain  
>And your boat waits down by the key<br>The winds of night so softly are sighing  
>Soon they will fly your troubles to sea<em>

_So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain  
>Wave goodbye to cares of the day<br>And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain  
>Sail far away from Lullaby Bay<em>

_This song…_ He thought. He remembered that this was the song that _she_ had sung on the first day. As he stared down at the girl on stage, he began seeing her as the fourteen year old that he loved all those years ago. _…can it be?_

_So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain  
>Wave goodbye to cares of the day<br>And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain  
>Sail far away from Lullaby Bay<em>

The audience burst into applause as the music died and Ashley gave a small bow before her gaze wandered back to Box Five where she unknowingly caught the gaze of the Phantom. Erik felt like he was dreaming. Then he remembered the envelope in his hands. He tore it open and pulled out a slip of paper.

_The trapdoor, the piano, the roof, shooting stars, Hushabye Mountain_

If you understand what all these mean, meet me at our special place after the show. I'll be waiting.

When Ashley walked off the stage, she made a dash towards the stairs.

"Ashley, where are you-" Meg tried to talk to her but Ashley was in too much of a hurry.

"Can't talk now! I have to be somewhere!" She threw over her shoulder.

"She's probably looking for a place to hide from the Phantom." One of the stagehands said jokingly. Meg shot him a dirty look.

"Don't say such stupid things!"

Ashley made her way up the stairs and practically stumbled out onto the roof. The sky was clear tonight and the stars were all smiling down upon the Earth. Ashley nearly forgot that she had invited the Phantom up to find her. But that didn't really seem to bother her at the moment. She went over to the edge and began staring up at the moon. To her surprise, it was full. She was somehow feeling a sense of déjà vu with how almost perfect everything seemed.

"If things don't go right, I guess it was never meant to be." She said sadly.

_All those days watching from the windows  
>All those years outside looking in<br>All that time never even knowing  
>Just how blind I've been<em>

After doing a bit of thinking, she realized just how right she felt at this moment. Being in this world, meeting all the people around her, never before had she felt so at home before. Not only that, but she was here with the man she had loved for six years now.

_Now I'm here, blinking in starlight  
>Now I'm here, suddenly I see<br>Standing here, it's all so clear  
>I'm where I'm meant to be<em>

Ashley let her gaze fall upon the city. There weren't many light s on at that moment, but she didn't really care because it let her get a better view of the sky.

_And at last I see the light  
>And it's like the fog has lifted<br>And at last I see the light  
>And it's like the sky is new<em>

Erik had slipped through the door to the roof only a few seconds ago and saw the young woman standing before her. Her back was turned to him but he knew who it was. He silently approached her from behind, waiting to see if she'd notice him.

_And it's warm and real and bright  
>And the world has somehow shifted<br>All at once everything looks different  
>Now that I see you<em>

Ashley suddenly felt the presence of another and turned to find Erik staring at her. She began feeling flustered and a little fearful and began rambling.

"I... I just… I know you weren't expecting this but… I just wanted you to know that…"But she couldn't seem to form any words and began chewing on her lip. But as she was about to just give up; she saw something shoot across the sky. She looked up and saw another. "Shooting stars." She whispered. Her face just started lighting up as she watched the stars shooting across the sky and Erik just stared at her in amazement.

**All those days chasing down a daydream  
>All those years living in a blur<br>All that time never truly seeing  
>Things, the way they were<strong>

Erik began moving closer to her as she just continued keeping her eyes on the sky with child-like excitement in her eyes. She had run back to the edge and was lost in her own little world and Erik couldn't help but feel a smile pull on the corners of his mouth. He reached out and took her hand in his causing her to turn back to him.

**Now she's here shining in the starlight**  
><strong>Now she's here, suddenly I know<strong>  
><strong>If she's here it's crystal clear<strong>  
><strong>I'm where I'm meant to go<strong>

As she gazed into his eyes, she saw that they had changed. Instead of fury and hatred, she said something she thought never to see again. Adoration, loneliness, happiness… love.

_**And at last I see the light**_  
><strong>And it's like the fog is lifted<strong>  
><em><strong>And at last I see the light<strong>_  
><em>And it's like the sky is new<em>

Erik took both her hands and Ashley slowly faced him completely as they sang their duet, not completely sure how Erik managed to know the words to the song.

_**And it's warm and real and bright  
>And the world has somehow shifted<br>All at once, everything is different  
>Now that I see you <strong>_

By now, Erik had taken Ashley in his arms and began tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

_**Now that I see you**_

After that final line, they closed the gap between them and met with the most heart melting kiss Ashley had ever experience. She began feeling the same spark from their first kiss six years ago and knew that without a doubt, she had returned to where she wanted to be. When they pulled apart, Ashley could see Erik's face stained with tears. She reached a hand up to wipe them away and he placed his hand over hers.

"It really is you, isn't it?" He whispered trying to keep his voice even. Ashley just nodded and pulled him back into an embrace.

"I'm back." She said.

"No, you're home."

* * *

><p>I finally got them together! I will have the cemetary scene in here but for now, I wanted something a little warm and fuzzy after the conflict from the last chapter.<p>

Songs in this chapter were **Hushabye Mountain** by the _Sherman Brothers_ from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (one of my FAVORITE films from my childhood) and** I See the Light** from the Disney film Tangled. And in** I See the Light**, the _Italic_ lines are Ashley, the **Bold** lines are Erik, and the _**mixed**_ lines are both of them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Christine was on her way to the roof for some air. Raoul had been conversing with the managers and everyone about their chance to take down the Phantom. She began feeling guilty about the idea because even though he had killed Joseph Buquet and was a very terrifying man, he never did anything bad to her. He taught her to sing, he looked after her since she was a child, and she knew he would never hurt her. But she noticed that when she looked in his eyes, he seemed sad about something. And at the Masque, when he saw Ashley, she noticed a bunch of emotions flash over his features. And the way he spoke to her, he obviously had known her at some point. Christine thought more about her feelings for him. It's true that there was something there, but she couldn't love him the way he must love her because she was in love with Raoul. Things were just so complicated.

As she approached the door to the roof, she saw two figures standing on the far side. She knew one of them was the Phantom, but the other one… the second figure turned and she saw Ashley's timid and fearful expression.

_What are they doing up here?_ She wondered. But as she saw the scene play out before her, she had a feeling that there was something between them. Then she heard them singing together and realized what was going on. She couldn't take her eyes away from the scene in front of her. Then when she saw Erik kiss her, she felt hurt and confused.

"Christine?" She turned to see Madame Giry standing behind her.

"Madame." The older woman looked to the window and saw the two outside and smiled. "Madame, what is going on?" She looked back to her surrogate daughter and sighed.

"Come, I will explain everything."

"I still can't believe you're alright." Erik said trying to keep his voice from cracking.

"I'm just as surprised as you are." Ashley said. "All this time, I thought it was just a dream. I couldn't remember anything passed you kidnapping me after the show."

"Do you know why?" She shrugged.

"Nothing. But Madame Giry told me what happened. I guess it's a good thing I didn't remember." Erik pulled her back into another hug.

"We don't have to worry about it anymore now. You're here, and that's all that matters." He kissed her cheek then pulled back to look in her eyes. "And this time, I will not let them take you from me." Ashley smiled at his determination and kissed him again.

"So, what are you going to tell Christine?" She asked.

"The truth." He said. "With you here, I can't see myself with anyone else."

"And Christine can be with Raoul." He made a bit of a face but reluctantly nodded. "Don't worry, I don't like him either." They both started laughing.

"You haven't changed, have you?" Ashley rolled her eyes.

"If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that the body can mature but the mind doesn't have to." Erik shook his head.

"You still look like you did when you were fourteen." Ashley pouted then crossed her arms.

"I'm twenty years old! Why does everyone think I'm younger?" She shouted throwing her arms down like a child.

"You definitely haven't changed a bit." He said with a touch of humor in his voice. Ashley herself couldn't help but laugh.

The following morning, Christine couldn't find herself getting back to sleep. Madame Giry had explained everything about Ashley and Erik's relationship from the time they met to the time she had "died". When Christine let it all sink in, she was happy for her Angel of Music because now he had someone who could make him truly happy. But she was also worried because of this too. If anyone else were to find out, they could use Ashley against him. She thought back to Raoul's plan for using her and the opera. If he caught wind of them, he would not hesitate to use Ashley. Christine looked out the doorway and saw Raoul asleep leaning against a support beam. He insisted on standing guard in case the Phantom was to show up and steal her away again.

_I can't let him know._ She thought. With that, she got out of bed and made her way towards the stables. She needed to get out for a while, so she decided one place.

"Where to mademoiselle?" The coachman asked.

"The cemetery."

On the ride, she somehow knew that Erik had taken the place of the driver. He was keeping his face hidden behind his cloak and she could sense the very dark and powerful aura he gave off. She had said to go to her father's grave but she doubted that it was really necessary now.

When Christine exited the carriage and walked through the cemetery gates, she made her long and slow walk to her father's resting place. All the while thinking about her father's promise to her.

"_Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing."_ She said in a sort of whisper. _"Her father promised her that he would send her the Angel of Music. Her father promised her… her father promised her…"_ As she approached the grave, she sat down on the steps of the crypt.

"Father, you have indeed sent me an Angel of Music. But my angel was nothing more than a man. He has done many things father, but he is not always as people see him. He indeed was in love before me. There was a girl he met some years ago who had supposedly died during her rescue. But now she has returned. But I fear for them."

"_Wandering child, so lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance…" _ She heard her Angel of Music sing to her.

"I already knew you were here Erik." She stated and he appeared on top of the crypt.

"There's no sense in fooling you any longer, is there?" He said sounding half serious. "So, you know about Ashley?"

"Yes, I saw the two of you on the roof last night. I saw the look in your eyes when you were with her and was slightly confused because the other night you sounded as if you hated her." Erik looked off to the side but she went on. "Madame Giry found me staring then brought be away and explained everything. When I heard what the two of you went through, I felt sad for you. But that only made your reunion a bit more…" She couldn't find a way to end her thought so she just let it go. "But this also poses a problem." Erik jumped down and began approaching her.

"What sort of problem?" He asked.

"If Raoul finds out, he may use Ashley to get to you."His hands clenched at the thought of that _boy_ using his precious Ashley to do him in.

"If he so much as touches her, I will-"

"He doesn't know now, but it will be trouble if he finds out before the opera." She said stopping him from finishing his thought. "Raoul plans to use the opera and me to lure you out." Erik grinned.

"Does he now? Well, he'll be in for a rude awakening."

"So, you're not going?" She wondered.

"And miss my own opera? Quite the contrary my dear." But before he could say more, they heard the sound of hooves pounding on the ground.

"Get away from her!" Christine turned to see Raoul jumping off his horse and unsheathing his sword. "Christine, don't listen to him! Whatever you may believe, this man, this THING, is not your father!" He made to strike Erik but he managed to produce his own sword and counter the young man. Christine jumped out of the way as the two men began their fight. They went at it for a while before Raoul managed to force Erik to the ground and was ready to end him.

"No Raoul!" Christine shouted and Raoul turned to her. "No. Not like this." He looked back down at Erik then sheathed his sword and went back over to Christine. Erik got back up as they rode away on Raoul's horse.

"Prepare yourself boy. For it is now war between us."

When Ashley finally woke up, it had stopped snowing outside and she could see a few breaks in the clouds. She turned over in bed not wanting to get up just yet when her hand touched some paper. She pulled the paper around and found it was an envelope, with his seal. She popped the seal then pulled out the note. As she read it all the color drained from her face.

"Ashley, is something wrong?" Christine asked as she entered the room with Raoul. Raoul noticed the note in her hands and went over to her and swiped the note from her hands. As he began to read, his face soon began set into a grimace.

"It's a threat." He said bluntly. "He's threatening her saying if she ever sings on his stage again; she's as good as dead." Christine looked over at her friend and saw the terrified expression.

_Are they really together?_ She thought.

"Don't worry; we're working on a plan to get rid of this menace once and for all." Raoul placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "We won't let him harm you." Ashley looked over at him and nodded. "Come Christine. You have rehearsals in an hour." He said moving towards the door with Christine in tow. As soon as they were out of the room Ashley reexamined the note and saw no other message in it. But just before tearing the note and envelope up, she looked inside the envelope and saw some scribe in it.

"_Come to the roof."_ She pulled on her shoes and threw a shawl over her shoulders and made for the roof.

She carefully and quietly opened the door and walked out onto the roof. To her eye there was no one there, but she could feel Erik's presence either way.

"Erik, you out here?" She asked. She heard footsteps coming from one of the statues and turned to see Erik stepping from behind one.

"I see you got my note." He said. Ashley ran over to him and practically jumped into his arms.

"I'm so glad to see you." She said sounding like a little schoolgirl. Erik smiled and shook his head at her antics. He certainly missed her more than he thought.

"Ashley, there's something I have to tell you." Ashley looked up at him with wide expecting eyes. "I spoke with Christine earlier this morning."

"What did she say about… us?" She asked.

"She already knew about us." Ashley's eyebrows shot up and her eyes grew wide.

"She what?"

"She saw us last night. I was surprised when she told me, but she understands." Ashley let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "However, we cannot afford for that fop of a boy to know about this. If he does he may try to use you like he's using Christine and my opera."

"So, what can we do?" Ashley asked.

"It will be dangerous for us to meet like this all the time." He felt one of her hands clutching tighter onto his coat. "For now, wait for me to send a message to you before meeting me. That way no one will suspect a thing." Ashley deflated slightly and looked out towards the city.

"It's been six years now and we still can't be together." She said sadly. Erik touched her cheek and turned her to face him again.

"This isn't forever, dear one. I promise." He gently kissed her forehead before turning to leave. Ashley stayed on the roof a few moments more thinking about how her life had gotten more complicated.

Three days passed and there was no sign of Erik anywhere. Ashley would watch as rehearsals went on with a blank expression. She wasn't allowed to sing anymore so she started becoming bored with the daily routine she had once found very interesting. Not to mention she was about ready to smack Carlotta because of her constant whining about Christine having the role of Aminta in Don Juan. The only reason why she hasn't just given up was the thought of finally being with Erik. She would not mess this up for him. At night, she would just lie awake because if she slept, her dreams would only hold him. It was far too painful to see him in her dreams now if she could not be with him. On the third night, Ashley decided to wander from her room and towards the stage. She needed a little release from her stress and music was her only medicine. Since no one was around, it didn't really matter if she sang. She decided not to use her iPod this time, letting the music play only in her mind…

_The first time I loved forever  
>Was when you whispered my name<br>And I knew at once you loved me  
>For the me of who I am<em>

_The first time I loved forever  
>I cast all else aside<br>And bid my heart to follow  
>Be there no more need to hide<em>

_And if wishes and dreams are merely  
>For children and if love's a tale for fools<br>I'll live the dream with you_

_For all my life and forever  
>There's a truth I will always know<br>When my world divides and shatters  
>Your love is where I'll go<em>

She listened as her voice faded into a distant echo. She looked out at the empty seats and looked back on the last time she had stood on this stage six years ago…

_Ashley had just finished her song and the crowd was going wild. She was definitely the winner here. She looked over towards box five and saw a shadow pass by the curtain and smiled._

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, as the judges make their decision, please take this time to stretch your legs and help yourself to refreshments in the foyer." Ashley made her way off the stage and towards box five. She softly knocked on the door and waited until it opened slightly._

"_You were incredible." She heard her teacher say from the other side._

"_You made me incredible." She said smugly. Suddenly, a black leather gloved hand reached out and grabbed her before pulling her into the dark box and a pair of lips crashing down upon her own. "Well, aren't you eager? I have to get back to the stage." Before she could protest any farther she was silenced with another kiss._

"_Soon you won't have to worry about pleasing others with your presence. Because when you make your wish, I'm going to take you back bellow with me and never share you with anyone again." Ashley giggled as he began kissing her neck._

"_Would our two contestants please return to the stage." Erik growled with frustration and released the girl in his arms._

"_It will only be a moment." Ashley promised and kissed his unmasked cheek before turning and leaving the box. As she took her place on the stage next to her opponent and sighed. The suspense was unbearable._

"_The judges have reached a decision. And the winner is…" Ashley held her breath. "… Ashley White!" The entire room burst into applause and Ashley was jumping up and down and screaming like a little girl. "Now Ashley, since you're the winner, your prize is having your greatest desire fulfilled. Now, what is it you want most?"_

"_What I want most?" She said innocently. "What I would like most is to be able to stay in this world." The room soon broke into nervous chatter and the judges' faces became pale._

"_Um… Ashley. Is that really what you want?" Ashley started having a bad feeling in her gut. The smile faded from her face._

"_Yes."_

"_Well, I'm afraid that's not something we can do." Ashley felt her heart was about to stop._

"_But you said anything." She muttered._

"_I'm sorry." She shook her head and was about to go into a panic attack when…_

_BOOM!_

_Some sort of explosion went off and the room was filled with smoke. All Ashley could hear were frantic shouts and coughing and her vision completely impaired. Ashley covered her face with her shirt and tried opening her eyes only to feel them burning from the smoke. Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm and pull her away from the stage and down one of the corridors. When her eyes stopped burning she looked to see Erik pulling her away from the scene. He led her to one of the secret passages leading to his lair and they began their dissention. All the way down they were silent and they were moving so quickly that Ashley managed to stumble one or two times on the way. And when they reached the lake, the boat was already there waiting. Erik helped her into the boat before getting in and taking the poll and bringing them towards his lair._

"_They did say anything." Ashley said softly._

"_I believe you." Erik said. "Even if they wouldn't let you, I would have taken you either way."Ashley let out a soft giggle and looked down into the water. As they made it back to his home, he jumped from the boat then helped Ashley out. He led her over to the bedroom with a large swan shaped bed and just stood there taking her in his arms. "I will fight to keep you here Ashley. I promise, I will never let you go." He vowed to the young girl."_

"_No matter what, I will always love you." She said leaning her forehead against his chest. He didn't care of her age, whether she was fourteen or twenty four, she loved him and he loved her. They may have only known each other a few weeks but she was everything to him. He took her chin and lifted her head to look at him before lightly pressing his lips to hers. The kiss started becoming more passionate, so much that they fell down onto the bed right behind her._

Ashley sighed at the memory feeling a sense of remorse because of how short lived their happiness was at the time. She wondered what would have happened if she didn't die like Erik and Madame Giry had told her. Would she have stayed in Paris? Lived with Erik the rest of her days? Sharing with him one love, one lifetime? That sounded like a wonderful life to her.

_A perfect life, the kind you dream of  
>Waits for me, and yet… and yet…<br>I can't shut put this sense of dread  
>This haunting doubt<em>

_I've found a man that truly loves me  
>I love him, and yet… and yet…<br>On this bright day a shadow falls  
>Across my way<em>

_I should hate myself for these irrational ideas  
>I should pull myself together, cast away my fears<br>Part of me is saying I'll soon be where I belong  
>Part of me is saying something's wrong<em>

_A perfect life, the kind you dream of  
>Waits for me, and yet… and yet…<br>I fear I might be sailing into  
>endless night<em>

_Part of me is saying I'll soon be where I belong  
>Part of me is saying something's wrong<em>

_A perfect life, the kind you dream of  
>Waits for me, and yet… and yet…<br>I fear I might be sailing into  
>endless night<em>

_We'll soon have a perfect life and yet…  
>And yet… and yet…<em>

"I have to keep it together." Ashley said to herself. "Something happened before, I can't mess this up." With that being said, she turned on her heel and made her way back to her room and to bed.

* * *

><p>This chapter's songs are <strong>The First Time I Loved Forever<strong> from Beauty and the Beast the TV series (minus the poetry lines) and **A Perfect Life** from Dracula the Musical.

Hey there everyone. Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I just started the new semester at school and was really busy with school work. I'll do my best with updating as best I can. I'm very eager for Friday February 17th because The Secret World of Arrietty comes out in theaters and I'm SO going to see it! If it's Studio Ghibli, I cannot resist!

My mom also just got me The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary dvd and I'm SO excited to see it! I'm absolutely DYING of anticipation! I also just figured out that Love Never Dies is being released on dvd too. I'm extremely curious about the show too... I've heard some of the music and the most I know of it is what the Phantom Reviewer said about it. Ah well. That's it for right now. Until next time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Three weeks had passed since Ashley's late night solitary performance; she kept herself patiently waiting for a message from Erik. But in that time, there was no word from him. However, within that time, Ashley's birthday had gone by, thankfully to no one's knowledge. But when she returned to her room that night, she had found a red rose with a black ribbon tied around the stem. She must have figured that she told him when she was here before. But there was nothing after that. Now, Ashley had absolutely nothing to do since she still couldn't sing due to the Phantom's warning to her. Now, she just spends her time sitting through the rehearsals listening to Carlotta bitching and Raoul going on about his plan to take down the Phantom.

"It's funny how he talks about how the Phantom will show up for the show, but never seems to think about if he doesn't." She muttered only loud enough for Raoul to hear bits and pieces.

"Ashley, is there something you'd like to share?" He asked sounding a little irritated.

"I was only thinking out loud." She said voicing her own boredness.

"Well, if you have any thoughts, I'd like to hear them." Ashley knew he probably won't let it go, so she might as well indulge his curiosity.

"I was just thinking, completely hypothetical of course, that what should happen if the Phantom doesn't appear at the show." She explained. "It's a very important thought, you know."

"He will appear." He said bluntly.

"Yes, I'm aware of your confidence in the matter, but it's just hypothetical." Raoul turned away and began to ponder her words. Ashley could see the wheels in his head turning.

"Now that I think about it, you have a point Miss White." He said. Raoul took out the note that Ashley had received weeks ago from the Phantom and looked over the threatening words when a proverbial light bulb went off in his mind. "Ashley, remember your note from the Phantom?"

"How could I not." She said matter-of-factly. "How could I forget a death threat from Monsieur le Phantom?"

"What if you happen to defy him?" Ashley looked at him like he was crazy.

"Why would I do that?"

"To lure him out." Realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Are you insane?" She shouted and everyone stopped their practice to listen. "I'm not going to risk my neck just so you can get your Phantom body!"

"There would be an entire police force here that night to make sure you're protected." Ashley just shook her head.

"Please tell me you're joking here Raoul. I couldn't take it if you were serious."

"I'm serious alright." Ashley brought her hands to her face and groaned.

"I'm not doing it!"

"Ashley, we're all doing our part here. This will be yours. If he's not here during the show, you will bring him out as a last resort."

"You're just as crazy as Professor Van Helsing." She said. "Christine wouldn't be harmed by the Phantom because of his obvious feelings for her. I, on the other hand, will not be so fortunate. That and, if you haven't noticed, he is a master magician monsieur. He can get passed your guards and do me in just like that." But Raoul seemed to have not taken any heed to her words.

"I'm so glad to hear you voice your confidence in the situation, but we will not fail. You will sing if you have to." Ashley felt her resolve breaking at the thought of being used as bait and began feeling how Christine felt. She turned away and made her way to the roof to clear her head. While outside, she couldn't stop herself from pacing and thinking about the Vicomte's proposal. After about ten minutes, Meg came up to find her.

"You don't look good Ashley." She began.

"Doesn't it show?" She said sounding exasperated. "This whole idea just puts me on edge."

"But if we do catch the phantom, he'll be gone for good." She said hoping to ease her mind. But when she looked at her face, she began thinking her feelings were more than she let on. "What's wrong?"

"Oh Meg…" She once again began to pace as she began singing.

_They'll drive a stake through  
>the heart of the monster<br>Why do I feel a growing compulsion to warn him?  
>Why do I shy away when I know that<br>The battle must be fought?_

_I know it's wrong and  
>Against all I stand for<br>As I take my first steps on the road to destruction  
>I can't lie to myself when I know<br>He can read my every thought._

_I'm like a scared hunted deer in a forest  
>There's no chance of escape<br>and I'm not sure I want to  
>Why should I try to run when it feels<br>more exciting to be caught?_

_Give me strength to fight these urges  
>Help me calm the turmoil in my heart<br>Don't let me tear myself apart anymore  
>I must bring him here to warn him<br>Save him from eternal nothingness  
>So if I have to<br>I'll invite him to come..._

Meg listened to her sing and noticed the look of desperation and fear in her face. But it wasn't for herself; it appeared more for the Phantom. Then it hit her that Ashley wanted to protect him, but why?

_If I could fly  
>I'd fly away from you<br>Away from it all  
>But I am trapped and trying to break free<br>What have you done to me?  
>I wish I had wings<br>No that's not true  
>If I had wings how could I help flying straight to you?<em>

_I promised to be faithful  
>I gave my heart forever<br>That doesn't seem to matter now  
>But how could I betray him?<br>How could I break my sacred vow?_

_If I could fly  
>I'd fly away from you<br>away from it all  
>But I am trapped and trying to break free<br>what have you done to me?  
>I wish I had wings<br>No that's not true  
>If I had wings how could I help flying straight to you?<em>

Ashley looked back to Meg half realizing the song she sang and felt her heart pound.

"Ashley, do you love him?" All the color drained from her face.

"Wh-what gave you that idea?" Meg raised an eyebrow at her and Ashley felt her blood run cold.

"Ashley, you're a terrible liar." Ashley sighed in defeat and refused to meet her friend's eye. "Does he really hate you?" Ashley shook her head. "But, what about what happened at the Masque?"

"A misunderstanding." She explained. "I am the girl he was talking about."

"Who exactly are you to him anyway?" Ashley sighed and knew there was no more point in hiding the truth from her.

"Six years ago, I met the Phantom here at the opera house. I was here for a singing competition and met him by accident. After that, he and I started…" she swallowed hard as her cheeks began burning, "…we started falling in love."

"You're joking." Meg said sounding a bit astonished. "You two were together?"

"For the while. But after the competition I was to return home. He wouldn't allow it, so he took me back bellow where I could hide. The plan worked for some time, but we were found and hunted down. I ended up getting killed saving his life." Ashley tried to grasp the images of her death in her mind, to no avail. As quickly as they had come before, the swifter they faded from her mind. "The funny thing is, I don't even remember my own death. I just woke up in my bed as if it was a dream."

"That certainly is unusual." Meg said. "But still, you've met him in the past. Does anyone else know?"

"Only Christine and your mother. Your mother was the one who explained everything to me and Christine just figured it out on her own." She walked over to her friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. "No one else can know. If Raoul found out, it spells bad voodoo for us."

"My lips are sealed." She said and Ashley hugged her feeling the relief that her secret would stay safe.

Later that day, Ashley was still thinking about what Raoul had said about her singing after _Don Juan Triumphant_. She knew that even if she did sing Erik would not harm her, but no one else knew this. She had to tell Erik right away. She went over to her desk and pulled out some paper and a pen and began writing her note. After she was finished, she folded it up and made her way towards box five. She entered the box and reached under one of the seats for the Phantom's box. She slipped the note inside then returned to her room. She didn't want to be caught sending secret messages to the most dangerous man in the opera house. The next morning, she woke to find a note under her pillow addressed from the Phantom. She opened it up and read the note.

"_Come to box five before rehearsals."_ She read. It was still before sunrise and everyone was still asleep, so now seemed like the best time to go. She got out of bed and slipped on her shoes before making her way to box five. She knocked on the door to the box and waited for a response. Nothing. She knocked again and the door creaked open.

"_Hello?"_ She whispered as she entered the dark space. She closed the door and tried looking around the room for any sign of Erik. "Erik, are you in here?" Just then, she heard someone scream. She ran from the box and back towards the dormitories. There, all the girls were surrounding Christine who must have been the one to had screamed.

"Christine, what's wrong?" She pushed my way through the crowd and finally made it to her side.

"I had a dream of him." She said breathlessly.

"Of the Phantom?" Ashley asked and Christine nodded. "What happened?"

"It's hard to say. I only remember bits and pieces." Ashley placed her hand on her shoulder urging her to go on.

"_My soul was floating  
>Above a moonlit sea<br>At the same time I was drowning  
>Yet felt somehow free<br>Enraptured by his eyes  
>The burning eyes<br>Of a supreme hypnotist  
>I followed him into the mist"<em>

Ashley recognized the song Christine started to sing. It was The Mist from Dracula. But she didn't hear the song before since she hardly ever listened to the music she had. She also kept her iPod on her at all times, so if someone was to use it, she would have to give her approval.

"_The dogs were howling  
>Or was it just a dream?<br>And when he appeared beside me  
>I wanted to scream<br>But I had lost my voice  
>I had no choice<br>I had no will to resist  
>I drifted away with the mist"<em>

Erik must have been trying to contact Christine through her dreams. The thought of him visiting her when he hasn't even said a word to her in all this time made her a tad jealous. But she continued to listen to Christine explain to everyone.

"_There was a ringing in my ears  
>And then he stared speaking<br>His voice caressed me through and through"_

She noticed the way she spoke about him at that moment and remembered the look on Lucy's face while speaking of Dracula. The situation felt somewhat similar.

"_He spoke about all kinds of things  
>I wish I could remember<br>But mostly he asked about you"_

She said while turned towards Ashley and she stepped back slightly trying to act surprised.

"Me?" She asked and Christine nodded.

"_He spoke about you  
>As if he knew you well<br>Whispering your name and smiling  
>And casting his spell<br>The fear and the desire  
>I was on fire<br>The ground moved as we kissed  
>We melted away in...<br>Spent all night and day in...  
>I wish I could stay in<br>The mist"_

The crowd around them broke into a nervous chatter and Ashley felt her heart about to burst.

"Why would he ask you about me?" Ashley asked.

"I'm not sure." Christine said. "He mentioned your name, but he spoke as if talking about a past lover." The crowd went silent.

"A lover?" Meg joined in the conversation. "But he hates Ashley."

"Meg, do you remember at the Masquerade?" Ashley asked and the blond nodded. "He mentioned another girl named Ashley. Maybe he was referring to her."

"It was possible." Just then, Madame Giry, Firmin and Andre, and Raoul all burst into the room.

"What happened?" Andrea asked frantically.

"We heard screaming." Firmin said.

"Christine was dreaming." Ashley explained.

"So I heard." Raoul said. Ashley gave him an "oh really?" look. "She said something about the Phantom asking about you." He said.

"Then surely, if you were listening, I also mentioned how he spoke of another girl with my name." She retorted.

"Yes, I did hear you mention it." He said. "Ashley, I've been thinking more about what you said about the Phantom. I came up with an even more brilliant idea." Ashley nodded for him to continue. "You know the piece The Point of No Return, correct?"

"Of course. The duet between Don Juan and Aminta."

"Instead of you singing after the show, you should be the one to sing Point of No Return." Ashley's jaw practically hit the floor.

"Have you lost your mind?" She screamed. "You want me to sing in Don Juan Triumphant?"

"Only that one song." Raoul explained. "Christine will come out first, and then before the song starts, she'll quickly switch places with you." Ashley stood up from her spot and just stared at the boy in front of her. He may be older than her, but she still saw him as the Phantom does. A _boy_.

"Listen here buddy! You can tell me to sing to lure out our elusive Opera Ghost. You can make me go along with your crazy scheme. But you cannot, I repeat, _cannot_ have me singing _his_ opera and expect me to come out alive!" She walked up to him and got right in his face. "I absolutely refuse!" She walked passed him but he grabbed her arm pulling her back.

"Ashley, you will sing the part. It is only this one song and Christine will return to the show. There will be officers everywhere to guard you." He pulled her until his face was mere inches from her own. "It is the best chance we have." Ashley continued to glare at him not breaking her resolve.

"My blood will be on your hands if this fails." She hissed. "I hope you're aware of that." She wrenched her arm from his grasp and stormed from the room.

She returned to box five to get away from everyone. The dark box seemed to offer little comfort except the promise of solitude. Raoul wanted her to sing Point of No Return in place of Christine. The thought of singing a duet with Erik made her both scared and ecstatic at the same time. What would happen? What if she couldn't sing it? She would not only ruin the show, but she would disappoint Erik. She slapped her hands to her cheeks.

"Get a hold of yourself!" She said. "You've sung it before. You can do it." But then she thought about why she'd be singing it. She had to tell Erik about what was going on, but there was no telling what he would do.

The door to the box opened and Ashley turned to see who would dare disturb her. She was shocked to find Raoul in the doorway.

"So, it was you, the whole time." He said icily.

"What are you talking about?" She said raising her guard.

"I saw you leaving box five yesterday-" He reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of folded up paper "-and found this." He threw it to her feet and the paper opened up revealing her note to Erik. Ashley face went pale and looked at the Vicomte with fearful eyes. "I certainly made the right choice in using you in my plan. Now I know it will be just as sweet when victory is mine."

"What would you know?" She spat.

"You were the girl from six years ago who went missing. Your parents were worried sick about you, and when they heard the Phantom had murdered you-"

"The police tried to kill him! I saved his life!" She shouted. "They were going to shoot him but shot me instead!"

"You protected a monster!"

"He's more human than anyone else here!" She quickly covered her mouth realizing she had said too much.

"So, you're in love with him. The girl from another world in love with a monster from our world. How ironic." Ashley fell to her knees and felt like she would be sick. "You better start practicing. You will be singing Point of No Return on opening night. You are to tell no one of our meeting here, or else." He warned before turning and slamming the door behind him leaving Ashley all alone in the dark without Erik to help her.

"Dear God, what have I done…?"

Ashley spent the next few weeks in a haze, barely paying attention to the time or people around her. Before she knew it, it was opening night. Ashley was in her room looking over her new costume for her part. It was identical to Christine's costume since she had to play Aminta if only for a few minutes and her hair was all curled and some pinned to the back of her head. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"It's the big night." She said to herself. "I just hope I'm ready for it."

Out on the stage, Raoul was working with the police, getting them into position.

"You, in the pit, do you have a clear view of box five?" He asked the officer in the orchestra pit.

"Yes sir!" He answered.

"Good. Now when the time comes, shoot. Only if you have to, but shoot to kill."

"How will I know sir?" The officer asked.

"You'll know." He said cryptically. Firmin and Andre were talking nervously to each other when Ashley appeared in full costume.

"Miss White, The time is drawing near." Andre said and took her hands. "Are you ready?" Ashley sighed.

"As I'll ever be." She said sounding almost dead. The stress from her discovery was weighing on her since Raoul told her not to tell anyone that he knew.

"My men are now in position sir." The chief officer said.

"Go ahead then." Raoul said and he turned out towards the theater.

"_Are the doors secure?"_ He shouted. Several of the men began shouting the door they guarded was secure. Ashley knew better than this since Erik had more than one entrance or exit that a simple door. Then, they began to hear his ominous voice.

"_I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera…"_ Everyone began searching the theater for the source of the voice, but it was coming as if from nowhere. _"I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera…"_ He continued throwing his voice all over the room coming from in front, in back, above, everywhere. The officer in the pit fired his gun and Ashley screamed covering her ears from the noise.

"You idiot!" Raoul shouted at the officer. "I said only when the time comes!"

"But Monsieur le Vicomte-"

"_No buts!"_ They heard the Phantom shout. _"For once Monsieur le Vicomte is right."_ Ashley began giggling but Raoul gave her a hard look silencing her. _"And you! I warn you once more, if you sing tonight, you will die!"_

"I'm sorry Monsieur le Phantom, their giving me no choice!" She said trying to sound frantic.

"_You always have a choice, _little girl_."_ Ashley felt her anger rise when he called her 'little girl'. She hated being called a little girl since she was clearly not so little. Erik was obviously trying to tease her since he sounded slightly amused when he said it. _"Seal my fate tonight… I hate to have to cut the fun short… but the joke's wearing thin… let the audience in… __**let my opera begin**__!"_

* * *

><p>This chapter's songs are <strong>If I Could Fly<strong> and **The Mist** both from Dracula the Musical.

Well, I wonder what will happen next. I'm planning on having the Point of No Return Sequence more towards the Broadway version instead of the movie because I just prefer the Broadway one more than the movie. I've also been listening to Ramin Karimloo sing _'Til I Hear You Sing_ on youtube and have become addicted to it! Oh my Gawd! I've also been thinking it would be a great song for later on in the story. For what? I'm not telling! You'll just have to wait and see.

Please drop me a review! Most appreciated and I will, of course update as soon as I can because, of course, school keeps me tied up. And, THIS FRIDAY IS WHEN SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY COMES OUT! SO EXCITED! Happy Valentines Day everyone!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"_Seal my fate tonight… I hate to have to cut the fun short… but the joke's wearing thin… let the audience in… __**let my opera begin**__!"_

The audience was all filing into the theater and Ashley felt her body shake. She should have gotten over her stage fright by now, but this was far different from just singing her songs from her iPod. This was Erik's opera! Not only that, but she was to sing one of the most iconic songs from the Phantom of the Opera musical! Her legs felt like giving out and her head was swimming on top of the fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped at the contact.

"Ashley, it's only me." She turned to see Christine, dressed in full costume, with a concerned look on her face. "I'm sorry you're being put through this."

"It's not your fault Christine." She said turning back to peak through the curtain.

"Ashley, what about the Phantom do you like?" She asked. Ashley turned back to her surrogate sister with a slightly surprised look.

"There's so much to like about him." She said. "His voice, his eyes, his music. It's true that he can be scary at times and has a very bad temper, but he can also be very kind and loving. When I first met him, I won't deny that he frightened me, but as we spent more and more time together, I got to see the best side of him. He's everything to me." Christine saw Ashley's eyes as she spoke of him when one more thought invaded her mind.

"Have you seen his face?" She asked. Ashley's face went from dreamy to sober.

"No." She answered bluntly. "I didn't want to betray his trust. I believed that when the time came… he would show me himself." Ashley had seen more than one Phantom of the Opera adaptation in her seven years of Phandom and knew what happened if you removed his mask. She wouldn't dare take his mask.

"How can you say you love him if you've never seen his face?" Christine wondered.

"Because I know it would cause him pain if I took away his mask." She said sounding very distant. Christine analyzed her words carefully and understood her meaning. She remembered when he took her to his lair and when she removed his mask. He was furious at her, but more so was hurt by her action. She decided now was the best time to bow out and made her way to her position.

The switch was simple; Christine was to walk from one end of the stage towards the table for a small moment and while our Passarino and Don Juan were speaking, Christine would quickly run off stage and Ashley would take her place. Ashley knew that Erik would be taking Piangi's place as Do Juan, having seen the movie a thousand times and the performance twice and the Anniversary performance God knows how many times since she got it, she was even more nervous to be performing with him making her job all the more terrifying.

_You can do this Ashley._ She said to herself. _Maybe he won't show up. But that's a very slim chance. But you've always dreamed of this happening._

The intro began to play and everyone took their places and began to sing. The nerves came back tenfold as they began approaching Point of No Return. Since Don Juan would be wearing the black cloak with the large hood over his head, Ashley knew that she would have to pull it up to reveal the Phantom. But what after that? Would he just kidnap her and pretend to kill her off stage? Would they just run away? Or would Raoul succeed and Erik would die? Over her dead body he would! She heard Piangi sing and prepared herself for the switch. She could see Christine already in position across the stage. Christine gave her a reassuring smile and Ashley had no choice but to smile back. When Piangi disappeared behind the curtain, she knew the time of reckoning was at hand.

"_No thought within her head but thoughts of joy…"_ Christine began to sing making her way to the table, _"…No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!"_ They heard their Passarino acknowledge Don Juan and Christine jumped from her place and Ashley ran to where she was.

"_Go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey."_ She heard the fake Piangi voice sing and felt her heart speed up. She wanted to run but her legs did not respond. She wanted to scream but her voice was numb. _"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish which 'til now has been silent… silent." _She could feel his eyes on her and a blush creped onto her cheeks at the thought of him finding her instead of Christine. _"I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me. Now you are here with me, no second thoughts, you've decided… decided."_ Ashley was struggling to stay in character but it was so hard when she knew she was living her greatest fantasies of all time. She wanted so badly to just run to him and just pull away the hood and kiss him in front of everyone, but she had to keep herself calm.

"_Past the point of no return  
>No backward glances<br>The games we've played 'til now are at an end  
>Past all thought of 'if' or 'when'<br>No use resisting  
>Abandon thought and let the dream descend"<em>

Ashley could feel electricity run through her blood when his hands made contact with her body and couldn't help but slightly move towards him wanting to get closer. But she snapped herself out of it when she knew there was a show to do and couldn't get distracted. She moved away from him and back over to the table where she sat down on the bench.

"_What raging fire shall flood the soul  
>What rich desire unlocks its door<br>What sweet seduction lies before us?"_

She felt him approach her then he sat down just behind her and felt his hands begin to roam across her.

"_Past the point of no return  
>The final threshold<br>What warm unspoken secrets will we learn  
>Beyond the point of no return?"<em>

Ashley felt her heart beat faster and her desire growing, but the show must go on. As she prepared to sing, she no longer felt the nervousness as she did before. She couldn't feel the hundreds of eyes watching her on a stage, only the eyes of the man sitting right there. She got up from her seat and began to sing.

"_You have brought me  
>To that moment where words run dry<br>To that moment when speech disappears  
>Into silence… silence"<em>

She moved across the stage putting a bit of distance between them and felt her heart begin to slow allowing her to concentrate better.

"_I have come here  
>Hardly knowing the reason why<br>In my mind I've already imagined  
>Our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent<br>And now I am here with you  
>No second thoughts<br>I've decided… decided"_

She was no longer just singing in an opera, she was singing for the Angel of Music. This was the man who gave her a voice, who made her into who she is today, the man she loves. She wanted to make this absolutely perfect. But she wanted to be sure it really was him.

"_Past the point of no return  
>No going back now<br>Our passion play has now at last begun"_

She began moving towards the table again and to her Don Juan, readying herself for what's to come.

"_Past all thought of right or wrong  
>One final question<br>How long should we to wait before we're one?"_

His hands came up and Ashley took them in her own entwining their fingers. She then brought her arms around him as she continued to sing

"_When will the blood begin to race  
>The sleeping bud burst into bloom<br>When will the flames at last consume us?"_

She brought herself around so she was beside him and he quickly stood up and grabbed her by her arms and began leading her slowly center stage.

"_Past the point of no return  
>The final threshold<br>The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn…"_

His hands made their way up her arms up her shoulders and were now resting on her neck while Ashley's hands were on his chest nearing his hood.

"…_We've past the point of no return!"_

Ashley pulled the hood up to reveal the familiar white mask and the handsome face of the man she loved. She felt her heart soar knowing she sang to the right person. He released her and turned to leave only to find guards blocking his path along with Raoul. Ashley could feel herself shaking again, anxiously awaiting her fate at the hands of the Phantom. She was surprised when she heard him begin to sing.

"_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime  
>Lead me, save me from my solitude…"<em>

She saw him reaching for something on his person and felt like she may faint. Was he really going to reveal everything right now?

"_Say you want me with you here beside you…"_

He turned back to her and she saw he was holding a ring. It was a silver band with a blue diamond shaped like a heart with two roses on either side of the gem with the stems acting as the band. It was the most beautiful ring she ever laid her eyes on. He approached her and took her hands in his.

"_Anywhere you go let me go too…"_

He sang as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

"_Ashley, that's all I ask of-"_

But before he could finish the line, someone had approached from behind and removed his mask and wig. What Ashley saw as positively mind boggling. His face was like none of the Phantom deformities she had ever seen! If you were to watch every unmasking from every Phantom movie or musical you've ever seen, it just didn't compare to this! There were absolutely no words that could describe it at all. But even with such a ravaged face such as his, Ashley was unphased by it. No matter what his face looked like, she knew that Erik was still Erik. But that didn't stop him from going ballistic. As soon as the mask and wig her torn from his face, he shouted and turned to see it was Christine who revealed him to everyone including Ashley. _His_ Ashley. And she has yet to see his face before now. He pulled a knife from his cloak and threw it at a rope. As it cut through, the chandelier over head began to sway, indicating it was going to fall. Erik turned back to Ashley and grabbed her before pulling her away from the stage.

"No! Don't shoot!" Raoul shouted as the police began closing in on them. But one of the officers had fired and Ashley let out a shriek and covered her ears while clinging closer to Erik. He faced the mob in back of them and set off a fire bomb and they continued their escape. Raoul's attention was diverted when he heard the audience scream as the chandelier began to fall. He looked up to see it make its way towards the stage and he along with the rest of the armed guard vacated before it had a chance to hit the ground. He heard yet another scream while back stage and saw Piangi lying on the ground dead with a lasso around his neck.

"Madame Giry!" He shouted out to the ballet mistress as she ran passed. "Madame Giry, wait!"

"Please monsieur, I cannot help you!" She shouted.

"But what about Ashley?" He questioned.

"There is nothing you can do for her. If you go after them, he will not hesitate to end you. He lost her once; he's not risking losing her again." Raoul thought about her words and knew she was referring to the incident six years ago.

"But she's seen his face!" He reminded her.

"If you wish to give up your life then do as you please, but I will not be responsible for what becomes of any of you!" She said before taking Meg and fleeing the scene. Raoul growled in frustration then spotted Christine.

"Christine, where are you going? You have to get out of here!" Raoul shouted.

"I can't allow my friend to die for my wrong." She stated then tore away from her sweetheart but he took hold of her once again.

"I'll go with you! You don't know what he might do." Christine shook her head.

"It's too dangerous for you Raoul. He won't harm me, but if he sees you, he'll kill you!" And with that being said, she ran off in search if an entrance leaving Raoul behind in anger and frustration.

"Monsieur." He turned to face Madame Giry once more. "Are you that determined to find her?" He nodded. "Then I can lead you to him."

"But can I trust you?" He asked.

"You must. But remember; keep your hand at the level of your eyes." She said bringing up her own hand in example.

"But why?"

"Why? The Punjab lasso monsieur! First Buquet and now Piangi! Come now monsieur, we must hurry or we shall be too late!" And without another word she led him from the fray and towards one of the hidden entrances.

Erik had an arm around Ashley's shoulders and his cape covering her small form as they descended into the catacombs of the opera house. He held her on his left so that she didn't have to look at the deformed side of his face.

"_Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair  
>Down we plunge to the prison of my mind"<em>

As he continued down the corridors, Ashley began having a hard time keeping up with him and stumbled once or twice trying to keep pace. Every now and again she would look over her shoulder to see if anyone was following. She knew at some point Raoul would be on his way down to find them and hoped they had a good enough lead.

"_Down that path into darkness deep as hell…"_

He stopped for a moment then looked back towards where they came.

"Why would she ask was I bound and chained  
>in this cold and dismal place<br>Not for any mortal sin  
>But the wickedness of my abhorred face!"<p>

Ashley could almost hear the faint sounds of the mob chanting "Track down this murderer, he must be found" in her mind.

_I've got Phantom on my brain too much._ She thought ironically. Erik soon began walking again returning to his fast stride from moments ago.

"_Hunted out by everyone  
>Met with hatred everywhere<br>No kind words from anyone  
>No compassion anywhere…"<em>

"_Christine… Christine, why? WHY!"_ As he shouted these last words he heard Ashley let out a shriek as she fell onto the ground. "Ashley!" He stopped walking and made his way to the fallen girl.

"I'm alright." She said trying to pull herself up. "I'm not as fast as you and it was hard for me to keep up." She smiled at him and he felt a small twinge of guilt. He was so caught up with Christine revealing his face; letting his anger run through him, he almost forgot about Ashley.

"Can you stand?" He asked sounding concerned.

"I think so-" But as she tried getting up, a sharp pain sprung from her foot. "Damn it!" Erik was a little surprised at her for using such language. When she was fourteen she usually never spoke in such a way. "I'll be fine, probably just twisted my ankle a bit." She continued getting up trying to ignore the pain. Erik shook his head then quickly whipped his arm behind her legs and proceeded to lift her into his arms. Ashley quickly clung to him looking down at the ground. She didn't like people lifting her ever since she was young when her father had lifted her over his shoulder and ended up falling flat on her face behind him.

"Ashley, look at me." He said but she was too focused on the ground to hear him. "Look at me." She heard him that time and slowly turned herself to look up into his intense green eyes and instantly felt her fear melt away. "I won't let you fall. You have to trust me." Ashley could sense the desperation in his voice, as if he thought she saw him differently now that she'd seen him.

"I do trust you." She said then rested her head against his shoulder. After a second or two, he began walking again only this time being more careful. He was shocked that she would still stay with him after seeing his true face. He was sure that she would do anything to get away from him and shun him as a monster like many others have. Yet she still looks at him as if he was human.

Tonight he ended their charade which meant neither of them was safe. He would finally make Ashley his bride tonight then take her far from Paris to begin a new life together. She would never see her home or her friends again, but he knew that as long as he was with her, she didn't care.

_"Keep your hand at the level of your eyes!"_

_"…at the level of your eyes…"_

"He lives just across the lake monsieur." Madame Giry said pointing out towards the massive lake before them. "This is as far as I dare go." She turned back and began her journey to the surface.

"Madame Giry!" She stopped and turned to Raoul. "Thank you." She nodded to him and continued her ascension. Raoul rolled up his sleeves and made for the lake. "Prepare yourself, clever friend." He said and reached onto his belt and pulled out a gun. "Only one will die tonight. Let's see who will reign victorious."

* * *

><p>This chapter's songs are <strong>Point of No Return<strong> and **Down Once More** both from The Phantom of the Opera by _Andrew Lloyd Webber_. So, I just got the 25th Anniversary Celebration CD on itunes and it is INCREDIBLE! I still have to wait until I go home to see Secret World of Arrietty before I can see the actual performance since the DVD is waiting for me there. But know it will not disappoint!

I had a bit of a hard time with this chapter since I wanted to cut it off at a certain point so that we can have the lair scene in chapter thirteen. I wanted to get at least 3,000 words before I stopped. And we got Ashley and Erik singing Point of No Return! I couldn't stop myself from fangirling the entire time I was writing that part! But I digress.

Reviews are most welcome and I will do my best with the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Ashley was grateful for the fact that the dress didn't come with a corset, but she still had a hard time with it. First she wasn't sure how she was going to put it on, and then it came down to doing it all up. The dress still came with ties to help make it tight enough to fit, but it wasn't easy working them up. She kept reaching in back to fascine the ties but only succeeded in frustrating herself.

"Do you need any help?" She turned to see Erik in the doorway of the bedroom obviously enjoying himself watching her struggle.

"Please?" She pleaded. He walked over and began working on her dress.

"Have you ever put a dress on since you were a child?" He asked.

"Do costumes count?" She asked and he let out a slight chuckle.

"No my dear, they do not."

"I have indeed worn a dress. Not on a regular basis, but I have. I just prefer my jeans, thank you very much." He pulled on one of the ties a little too tightly and it caused her to gasp.

"I'm almost done, just bare with me." Ashley rolled her eyes at him. After a few more tugs she felt his hands leave her. "There." There wasn't as mirror in the room so she couldn't exactly see how she looked.

"Does it look alright?" She asked. She felt his hands wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him.

"You're beautiful." He whispered in her ear causing her shiver with pleasure. He then proceeded with kissing her neck causing her to giggle.

"Erik, that tickles." She said and a wicked grin appeared on his features.

"Does it now?"

"Erik, don't you dare-" She didn't manage to finish her sentence when he started tickling her making her laugh uncontrollably. "Stop! You're not being fair!" She chortled trying to stop his antics. But he didn't cease his wonderful torture until she tripped and fell onto the bed beside her. She sat up on the edge and glared at the man before her. "You can do that because you know you can get away with it!" She scolded playfully. Erik sat beside her and placed a hand on her face.

"Only because you let me, my dear." He said softly and Ashley knew she couldn't be mad with him if she tried. Erik began leaning closer to her for a kiss but stopped half way as of sensing something… or someone.

"What's wrong?" Ashley wondered seeing the annoyance etched on his face. He stood back up and made to leave the room.

"Wait right here." He said over his shoulder and left his fiancé alone. As he made his way over to the lake, he saw Christine standing behind the gate on the opposite side. "Well, this is quite the surprise." He said dryly. "Sick of your boy already Miss Daae?"

"I'm here to make sure Ashley is alright." She stated. Erik laughed.

"Why shouldn't she be?" He retorted.

"She had to know who you really were! You never revealed your face to her!" Erik glared at the girl he had called his Angel of Music.

"I was protecting her! She was young at the time and did not need to worry herself with such things. Never once did she question me or try to see my face so I had no fear of showing her my face." He looked up towards the bedroom where Ashley still resided. _"But now that she has seen me… she will not leave me."_

"_So you've gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood!"_ She said causing him to return his attention to the dark haired girl. _"Is this girl to be prey to your lust for flesh?"_

"_That Fate which condemns me to wallow in blood as also denied me the joys of the flesh."_ Christine looked up and saw Ashley coming out of the room. Erik followed her gaze and saw his young bride looking from Christine to him. _"This face… the infection… which poisons our love."_ Ashley came down to stand next to Erik and placed her hands on both sides of his face.

"This haunted face holds no horror for me now." She began. Erik tried to say something but she placed one finger on his lips to shush him. "For in your soul I have seen the man inside." Erik was on the verge of tears, but the new figure behind Christine returned him to his Phantom persona.

"_Wait, it seems my dear, we've one more guest!"_ Ashley and Christine turned to see Raoul standing some ways away.

"Raoul, why are you here?" Christine questioned frantically.

"_Sir, this is indeed an unparallel delight!"_ Erik said sarcastically. _"I had rather hoped that you would come. And now, my wish comes true, you have truly made my night."_ He stepped in front of Ashley to shield him from the Vicomte's eyes.

"_Free her! Do what you like, only free her! Have you no pity?"_

"_Ha! Your lover makes a passionate plea!"_ He said mockingly.

"Please Raoul it's useless!" She said trying to stop him.

"_Release her! She's just a child! Release her! Show some compassion!"_ Erik's eyes flashed with anger at the boy.

"_The world showed no compassion to me!"_ He was bout ready to charge towards the gates but Ashley took hold of his arm and he immediately stopped himself.

"Please, at least let me see her!' Christine begged. Erik turned to look at Ashley and she nodded.

"Be my guest dear." He said and the gate started to rise. Raoul and Christine entered his lair and the gate quickly closed behind them. Ashley moved out from behind Erik and moved towards her friend and Christine began fussing over her making sure she wasn't hurt. Erik watched the two girls for a moment and smiled before turning his attention to Raoul. _"Monsieur, I bit you welcome. Did you think that I would harm her? Why would I make her pay for the sins which are _yours_?" _He pulled a lassoas if from nowhere and threw it around Raoul's neck causing Christine to let out a frightened gasp. The end of the rope was levitating as if on its own but Ashley could see a very thin wire holding it up. "You don't think I didn't know what you've been planning boy? I had an idea you would use her in one way or another."

"And what about you, monsieur?" Raoul shot back. "You said that you hated her, and yet when she disobeyed you, you do not pass judgment!"

"Ashley is no concern of yours!" He bellowed. "Six years ago, she found her way into my world of music and darkness. When I heard her voice for the first time, I thought I was dreaming. Then I found her. A young girl, no more than fourteen, lost and frightened. I returned her to the world above knowing she would not dare find her way down again. Since then, I had felt compelled to watch over her. I listened too many of the voices that came from her world and could only wish such an event they agreed to would be over soon. But when I heard her, I thought her an angel sent from heaven. So I taught her what I knew in the short time she would stay, and with each passing day I could not bear the thought of her leaving me. I decided that on the final day, I would spirit her away to my world and never let her go. To my surprise, she wanted the same. But then she was taken from me. The cruel hands of Fate stole my angel from me!" He turned his gaze to the two girls once more and looked into Ashley's eyes. "But it seems Fate brought her back to me." He returned his gaze to Raoul. "But you, monsieur, I know you wish to take her from me. I will not risk losing her again. Therefore, you must die!"

"Erik, wait!" Ashley tore away from Christine and took hold of Erik. "What good will killing him do?"

"He wants to separate us!" He shouted. She moved in front of him blocking his path to the young Vicomte.

"_Erik please…  
>there's no more harm that he can do<br>Leave it be"_

She began to sing to the melody of I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much, changing the words to fit the situation.

"**I only wanted to save you dear."**

Erik soon began singing along with her and she knew she could coax him from another pointless death.

"_Sometimes I wanted to cry  
>When the people around me<br>Were not like the way we were  
>Somehow I guess I just knew"<em>

She took his face in her hands as she continued to sing.

"_But I didn't know I'd love you so much  
>I didn't know I'd love you so much<br>I didn't know I'd love you so much  
>But I do…"<em>

Erik brought his hands up to hers and gently removed them from his face but did not release them from his own.

"**Sometimes I'd stay up all night  
>Wishing to God that I was the one who died<br>Sometimes it's not enough time"**

Erik kissed her hands before continuing.

"**But I didn't know I'd love you so much  
>I didn't know I'd love you so much<br>I didn't know I'd love you so much  
>But I do…"<strong>

Ashley moved closer then rested her head against his chest. Erik released her hands and brought his arms around her bringing her as close as possible.

_Didn't know I'd love you so much_  
><strong>Didn't know I'd love you so much<strong>  
><em><strong>I didn't know I'd love you so much<br>But I do.**_

_Let him go_  
><strong>No, I cannot let him go. He'll take you<br>**_There's nothing he can do now dear  
>He knows I'm yours forever more<em>

_**We will always have each other  
>In our times of need<strong>_  
><strong>Ashley<strong>/_Erik_ _**you're the world to me**_

With that being said, Ashley stood up on her tip toes and caught him in a loving kiss. She wouldn't leave him, no matter what. From the very first time she sang his music she belonged to him. There was nothing in either of their worlds that could divide them now.

"There's nothing he can do Erik." She pleaded. "Just let him go." Erik looked into her eyes and knew he couldn't deny her request. He went over to one of the many candelabras and plucked one of the lit sticks from its resting place. He went over to Raoul and held the flame over the rope holding the lasso up and it snapped releasing him.

"I want you to leave here and never return." He warned him. "If it wasn't for Ashley, you'd be dead by now." He threw the candle aside and returned to Ashley's side. Finally, the fight was over and they were free. But as quickly as their happiness came, the faster it went. Ashley's eye caught sight of Raoul pulling something from his shirt and saw a gun. He aimed it at Erik and was ready to shoot.

"NO!" She jumped in front of him just as the gun went off and soon felt a stabbing pain in her back and something warm and wet flowing from the wound. Erik and Christine watched in horror as Ashley, for the second time, protected her love from certain death.

"Ashley!" He caught her just before she fell to the ground and pulled one of his hands away from her back to find it covered in blood. "No… no this can't be happening!" He turned to Raoul and began seeing red. He carefully rested Ashley on the ground then strode over to him picking up the lasso and catching him with it around his neck. He was about ready to snap his neck when he heard the chanting of a mob.

"Track down this murderer! He must be found!"

He threw Raoul aside and released the rope that was around his neck.

"_Leave here, forget me, forget all of this!"_ He shouted to Raoul and Christine. Christine tried approaching him but he merely pushed her away.

"Leave me alone!" He bellowed. "Forget all you've seen. Go now, don't let them find you!" Christine ran over to Raoul and pulled him up and began leading him away. "Take the boat, swear to me never to tell… the secrets you know of this angel in hell!" He watched as they made their escape and he continued shouting after them. _"Go! Go now and leave me!"_ He collapsed next to Ashley's body and gathered her in his arms. In the distance, the sound of a music box was heard playing Masquerade. Ashley's head turned towards the sound and smiled.

"_Masquerade…"_ She sang weakly, _"…paper faces on parade. Masquerade…"_

"_Hide your face so the world will never find you."_ He finished and she focused her gaze on him once more. He leaned down and kissed her forehead then rested his own on hers. "Ashley, I love you." Ashley let out a painful laugh before she started coughing.

"You have to get out of here." She whispered.

"I'm not leaving you here. I promised I would never leave you again." She just shook her head.

"If they catch you, they'll kill you. And if they do, I won't forgive you." She said with a hint of humor in her voice. Erik looked down at the dying girl and let a single tear fall from his eye and hit her cheek. Her head soon went limp and she let out her last breath. Erik could no longer hold back the sobs over the loss of his love. For the second time she died because of him and he knew it. Her words rang through his mind.

"…I won't forgive you…"

He knew he had to escape before the mob came. He got to his feet with Ashley still in his arms and brought her back into the bed room and rested her on the bed. He took the sheet and brought it over her, covering her from head to toe. He couldn't bear to leave her, but he had no choice. He quickly made his way to his organ and moved it aside revealing a secret door. He pressed a secret switch and the door opened allowing him to escape. And just as the door closed, the organ moved back into place.

When the mob finally made it down to the Phantom's lair, they had just missed him leaving. Meg began wandering around and found the mask resting on the bench in front of the organ. She knew that he was no longer there, meaning that he escaped with Ashley. She went into the bedroom and saw there was something on the bed. She couldn't see what it was because there was a sheet covering it. It almost had the shape of a person.

_Oh, please no!_ She thought. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it away…

Erik had made it safely outside the walls of the Opera Populaire. He looked back into the dark corridor he had just fled through and felt the overwhelming need to go back. He couldn't stand that he just left her there. But he had no choice. He sealed the exit and just stood and leaned against the wall letting his heart mourn the loss of the only girl who had ever truly loved him.

"So, you're still here?" He turned to see the stern face of Madame Giry. He slipped into a stone cold mask as he addressed the ballet mistress. "Meg had just returned. She thought you may want this back." She held out his mask to him and he took it and placed it on his face. "Is Ashley not with you?" At the mere mention of her name he felt himself being ripped apart.

"Ashley is dead." He said tonelessly trying to hide his sorrow and anger. "Surely your daughter would have figured that out.

"Meg thought she was with you."

"And why would she think that?" He shouted.

"Because, if she was dead, there was no sign of her anywhere." Erik couldn't believe his ears.

"I placed her body in the bed and covered her with a sheet."

"Meg saw the form in the sheet Erik. But when she tore it away…" She reached into her sleeve and pulled out the blue diamond ring, "this was all she found." She placed it in his hands. There were no words that could be said for him. She had to be dead! But then, if she wasn't found…

Ashley shot up from her bed. Her body was covered in cold sweat and her heart was racing. She looked around her and took in the familiar sight of her dorm room. The sun was already out but the building was still quiet. Her shoulders slumped and she fell back down on her pillow.

"Another dream." She said tiredly. "Fan-bloody-tastic." She pulled out her cell phone and looked at the time. It was about 8:30 in the morning. She decided it was time to get up son she reluctantly pulled herself out of bed and placed her feet in her Gir slippers before making her way to the door, making sure to pick up her toothbrush and toothpaste before exiting the room. When she got to the girl's bathroom, she proceeded in brushing her teeth and taking care of any other essential needs. Just as she spat out the rest of the toothpaste, the door opened and one of her former roommates came in.

"Ashley, good morning." Ashley turned her head and smiled at her.

"Good morning." She said sounding a little less groggy.

"You feeling better this morning?" Ashley gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?" She queried.

"Well, last night a group of my friends and I found you unconscious last night. I knew you're not one to drink so I thought maybe you were sick or something." Ashley tried to remember anything that happened the night before and did indeed remember blacking out.

"I… I'm fine." She said sounding a bit tired.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?" She pointed to her face and Ashley looked in the mirror to see a tear running down her face. "Wha-" She quickly wiped it away. "How did that happen?" Her thoughts soon began wondering back to her dream. This one seemed so real, much like her other dream from before. She could feel that something was amiss here, and she needed to find out what.

* * *

><p>This chapter's songs are more of <strong>Down Once MoreTrack Down This Murderer** from The Phantom of the Opera and some altered lyrics to **I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much** from Repo! The Genetic Opera.

I know, everything was going so well! They were going to be married and live happily ever after. But I dodn't want to make it so simple. But just wait! Things are going to get interesting indeed! So please don't hate me for this! So, I did a little more looking up on the Love Never Dies dvd coming out in the spring and I've been listening to 'Til I Hear You Sing a LOT! I know that they'll be playing it in theaters on February 28th and March 7th and I may try and check it out. I know that when I first heard about Love Never Dies when word of it first came out I wasn't too happy (then again, so were many other Phantom phans). But my curiosity tends to get the better of me sometimes, and this has indeed sparked my curiosity.

Now, please leave a review and I will try my best with the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Three days had gone by since she had that dream, and in those three days, she had felt very different. In that time, Ashley was plagued by dreams of the Phantom and all ended with either her death or his death. She could no longer bear to think of him or anything relating to him. She hid away all her movies and clothes hoping the dreams would stop, but all in vain. But the middle of the week, she felt emotionally and physically drained. She had no idea why this was happening to her but she didn't want to seek any help for it either. She believed it would all pass soon and she would be freed from such terrible ghosts.

"Ashley!" Her head snapped up from her computer screen and looked up at the concerned face of her professor. "Is everything alright. You look pale." Ashley did her best to smile hoping to ease her worry.

"I'm okay, really." She said closing her laptop and placing it in its case. "I've just haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Do you need to see a doctor?"

"No, I'll be fine. It will pass." She pulled her sweatshirt over her shoulders and grabbed her book bag and computer case. "I'll see you next week."

"Because you're going to Boston this weekend?" She questioned.

"Yeah. There's a big anime convention going on this weekend and I'm not planning on missing it." She took a deep breath. "And it may help me clear my head a bit."

When Ashley returned to her room, he pulled out her costume and inspected it, making sure it was in good condition. She looked upon the blue dress and white apron of her Alice costume and smiled. Anime conventions were her ways of being herself yet also being someone else. She looked forward to these events each year with child like anticipation. After putting the outfit away, she took out her second outfit. Alice's ball gown. She remembered how in her dream she wore this exact dress to the Masquerade, only the color was blue instead of pink. Ashley was not one for pink, but since the dress was still a costume, she let it slide, for now.

"Today is Wednesday," she said to herself, "tomorrow, we go to Boston." She placed the dress back in the closet and her mind wandered back to the dream she had a few days ago. Ever since then, she had a few nights ago on the sixth anniversary of her first Phantom dream. It seemed odd because with her first one, it had cut off at a certain point, but with this one, it was like she was stuck in a movie and couldn't get out. She remembered every vivid detail and every painful moment. The more she thought about it however, the more her heart seemed to hurt. She felt as if someone had just driven a knife into her heart and let it bleed with despair and unplaceable longing.

_It was only a dream… wasn't it?_

Elsewhere…

In a school about 200 miles from her, something just as interesting had only just occurred.

"You excited for AB?" A boy asked a pink haired girl. Her bright blue eyes shining with secret anticipation.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She said calmly. "I wouldn't miss it." She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"You know, you don't have to work so hard Chris." The boy said. The girl chuckled.

"I work hard because I can." She said and placed her glasses back in place. "I'm gonna get something to eat. Care to join me Darren?" Darren smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I thought you'd never ask." Christine proceeded to pick up her things and place them in her bag before putting on her jacket. As the two left the library on their way to one of the many Chinese restraints in town, up above, a streak of light appeared in the sky.

"A shooting star." Christine stopped walking and looked up to see more shooting stars fly across the sky.

"Whoa! Chris, over there!" She turned to where Darren was pointing and saw something, or someone, unconscious on the sidewalk.

"Oh my God!" They ran over to the person and tried to get a look at his face. When they turned him over, the first thing Christine noticed was the white mask covering half the man's face. "He's dressed like the Phantom of the Opera."

"Maybe he's a theater major." Darren said.

"Maybe." She placed two fingers on his neck trying to check his vital signs. "He's not dead, that's for sure. Call for an ambulance." When she tried getting up, she felt something grab her and looked down to see the man holding onto her. "On second thought, let's get him inside first. Help me with him." She took one of his arms and slung it around her neck. Darren took his other arm and slung it over his neck.

"Let's take him to my room." Darren suggested. "My building is closer."

"Good idea." And they made their way towards the dorm.

Erik couldn't remember what happened before he blacked out. All he remembered was hearing Madame Giry telling him Ashley's body was not found where he left her and he tried going back down to find her. But when he was only half way down, he began feeling dizzy and collapsed on the cold ground of the stone corridor. As he began regaining is faculties, he noticed that he was not lying on the stone ground but on something soft. Or, at least, softer. He tried opening his eyes and found himself in a very unfamiliar setting. There were two beds in the room, one of which he was occupying, some strange objects rested on the tops of the furniture. As he took in his surroundings, he knew he couldn't still be in Paris anymore. He tried getting up when the door opened and a young man came in and noticed him.

"Hey, you shouldn't try to get up." He said and pushed him back down onto the bed. "You gave us a real shock last night buddy. We were about to call an ambulance to get you." Erik rested his head on the pillow and brought a hand up to his face. He felt something amiss about his face when he didn't feel his mask and began to panic. "Relax! It's right here." He gestured towards the desk right next to them and, as he said, his mask was resting atop it. He reached for the mask and brought it back to his face. "I gotta say man that is a really good make up job. Are you into theater too?" Erik just stared at the boy wondering why he didn't seem at all uncomfortable about his face.

"Do you not fear me?" He wondered.

"Should I be?" He asked. Erik was unsure about this boy. He said he's not bothered by him, but he saw his face! "So, why don't we introduce ourselves? I'm Darren." He said holding his hand out to him. Erik reluctantly took it.

"Erik." He said cautiously.

"Erik, are you a fan of The Phantom of the Opera?" Erik's eyes grew wide.

"Excuse me?"

"The outfit, the mask, the face; you look just like him. You a fan of the show?" Erik cave him another questioning look and Darren continued. "The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. It's one of the most famous shows in the world." He reached into one of the drawers of the desk and pulled out a DVD case for The Phantom of the Opera 2004 movie. "This isn't as good as the stage production, but it's the closest you'd get without going to see it." Erik took the case from his hands and looked it over. His gaze was most interested in the man who looked like him.

"Who is this man?" He asked.

"Gerard Butler." He answered. "Not the best Phantom in the world with the dozen others that came before him. But, I guess we can't expect too much, right?"

_Others?_ He thought. Just then, Erik jumped at a very unfamiliar noise and saw Darren reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box like device and holding it to his ear.

"Yeah?" He began talking into the device. "No, I'm back in my room… Yeah, he just woke up… Okay, I'll see you when you get here… 'kay, bye." He removed the box from his ear and set it down on the desk. "That was my friend. She and I found you last night and she was wondering if you were alright. She'll be here in a few minutes."

"What is this place?" Erik asked.

"This place is a school." He said. "A college, to be exact."

"No, I mean this place! What world have I entered?" Darren was a little nervous about the man in front of him. He seemed a little… off.

"You're on planet Earth if that's what you're wondering." He said. "April 5th 2012." Erik felt like his heart was going to stop. He entered another world! Maybe… just maybe…

"I need to know, do you know a girl by the name of Ashley White?"

"Umm… no. Sorry." Erik slouched back onto the bed. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"She was my world." He stated sadly. "Twice now she's been ripped from my arms. She was the only one who saw me as more than a monster" Darren suddenly felt a twinge of pity for him. The way he spoke of this girl made him feel like there had to be something he could do to help. Just then, there came a loud knock at the door.

"Hold on a moment." He said and went over to open the door. On the other side stood a pink haired girl with black rimmed glasses and strange clothes.

_Just like hers._ He reminded himself. The girl looked over at him and smiled.

"Nice to see you're doing better." She said. "I thought maybe you had one too many drinks or something."

"Has yet to happen to me mademoiselle." He said dryly and Christine smiled at his retort.

"He just told me he was looking for someone." Darren told her.

"Who are you looking for?" She asked.

"A girl." He stated. "She was taken from me and I know she's still alive." Christine began feeling uneasy.

"Well, can you tell me what she looks like?" Erik closed his eyes as he remembered his love.

"Dark blond hair, hazel eyes that sparkle with a light of innocence, and a voice that could cause even a man like me to forget the darkness in their hearts. If only for a moment." Christine looked over at Darren and he shrugged.

"What's her name?" She asked.

"Ashley." He said. Christine replayed the name in her head.

"He said her name was Ashley White." Her eyebrows shot up at the sound of that name. "Wait… Chris, don't you have a sister names Ashley." Erik's head snapped towards the boy.

"She's here?" He asked hopefully.

"She isn't here." Christine said flatly. Erik felt his hope fade for a moment. "But… I know where she is."

"Where is she?" He asked desperately.

"At school. She goes to a different school studying meteorology."

"How do I get to her?" Christine shook her head.

"It's a very long drive. We can't exactly drive all the way over there at this time. We've got classes at the moment." Erik had information on Ashley's whereabouts but there was no way of seeing if she's really alright.

"Then tell me how to get there and I'll go myself." He growled about ready to lose it.

"Its way too far for you on your own." Darren said. Christine was very suspicious of this person. He comes out of nowhere and says that he knows her sister but has yet to explain how.

"How do you know Ashley?" She asked.

"She and I met some years ago. She was still very young at the time, but that never stopped her for anything." He explained thinking back to when he first met her. "I helped her out of a situation and just… well, I had the terrible urge to protect her. Call it what you will, but she is everything to me and if she's alive, I have to know." Christine considered his words carefully. He seemed very genuine about her, but something still didn't feel right. However, there wasn't much she could do about it right now. So, she would just have to keep an eye on him.

"Anime Boston." She said suddenly.

"What?" Erik asked sounding confused.

"There's an anime convention in Boston this weekend. If I'm right, she'll be attending."

"When is it?"

"This weekend." She pulled out her iPod and went to her guidebook app. "It starts on Friday. We will be driving down the morning of."

"Then I will go too." Erik said. "If there is even the slightest chance she will be there, I will take it." Christine couldn't help but smile at his determination. Darren said something about getting some food and left Christine and Erik alone. Now, she could ask him what has been bothering her for a while.

"Are you the real Phantom?" He was taken back at her abruptness. "I know, not the kind of question you hear every day, but I just thought I'd ask." He didn't meet her gaze but instead decided to stare out the window.

"And what if I am?" Not quite the answer she had in mind, but it was something.

"There's something you should know about me Erik." She got up and wondered over to the window. "My sister and I had many interests. Many of them have been the same. One of them, in particular, was you." She managed to grab his attention as his eyes left the scenery outside and rested on her. "Ashley is a child in many ways. When it came to her liking guys, they were usually fictional people. But you were someone we both liked. I won't deny, I would tell her that you could never think of her as more than an immature woman-" his hands clenched into fists at her harsh words "-which surprised me when you spoke about her. I wasn't expecting to hear what I did."

"You would be surprised by what I know mademoiselle."

"Christine." She said. "Just call me Christine."

When Christine got out of her last class, she decided she would check up on her baby sister. However, since Ashley didn't have a Facebook and she didn't have her email; her only option was to call her. It was late afternoon so she was sure she wouldn't have class. She pulled out her phone and looked through her contacts until she found her name and pressed call. The phone rang a couple times before she heard someone pick up.

"_Hello?"_ Asked a very tired sounding voice.

"Ashley? It's Christine." She answered.

"_Oh, hey. It's rare that I get a call from you."_ Ashley said trying to make a joke.

"Are you okay? You sound horrible." She heard her sigh on the other end.

"_I've just been having a hard time getting to sleep lately."_ She said. _"I've been having a lot of nightmares recently."_ Christine's eyebrows knit together hearing her sister's words.

"_Nightmares?"_ She repeated.

"_Every night for the past few days."_

"_Can you tell me about them?" _ The other end was uncomfortably silent. _"Kid, you know you can talk to me."_ Ashley sighed.

"_Well, they all start and end the same."_ She began. _"I'm with the Phantom of the Opera in each of them. Everything starts out fine; we're happy and just getting along great. But after a while, one of us ends up dead. Either him or I ends up covered in blood and falls to the ground lifeless."_ Christine began hearing sobbing on the other end. _"I'm scared Christine! I don't know why I'm having these dreams, but I want them to stop!"_ Her voice sounded desperate. It broke her heart to hear her baby sister in such a state.

"Don't worry kiddo; I'm sure it will end sometime." She said trying to sound reassuring. "Hey, you still going to Anime Boston?"

"_Yeah, we're actually just about to leave for Concord to take the train."_ She said.

"I'll see you there and we can talk more later, alright?" She heard her taking a deep breath before she spoke again.

"_Sure. I'll see you there." _ She said finally.

"Great. I'll talk to you later." She said before hanging up. Ashley was unhappy about something and there was nothing she could do to help her. She was her older sister; she had to be able to help somehow. Then she thought back to Erik.

When she returned to Darren's room that evening, she found Erik and Darren sitting at a desk on the computer. When they noticed Christine enter the room, Darren let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God you're here!" She said. "He wanted to learn more about our world so I decided to show him my computer. _But he keeps asking me all these questions and it's driving me insane!_" He whispered the last sentence hoping Erik wouldn't hear him. Christine couldn't help but laugh at his failed attempt at educating their masked guest. Then she sobered up a bit and turned to face said man.

"I just spoke to Ashley." She started. Hearing her sister's name caused him to jump from his seat.

"Is she alright?" He asked. She could sense the worry in his voice and felt a throbbing pain in her heart.

"She's not doing too well." She said. "She told me she's been having nightmares the past few nights." Erik felt his heart sink. Ashley was suffering from nightmares alone and he had no way of getting to her. The thought of her in pain made him fearful. Christine caught this and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She told me she was on her way to the train station. She'll be in Boston maybe in a few hours or so. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so we better get ready for the trip." Erik broke from his thoughts and nodded to her. He was grateful that she was willing to help her even if he knew she didn't entirely trust him with her sister.

_Soon, Ashley. Soon._

* * *

><p>No songs used in this chapter.<p>

So, Here we are in the real world. How do you think things will turn out at the convention? Only I know what will truely happen and I'm not spoiling anything. I can't wait! After this chapter is posted, I'm packing up and making my way home to see Secret World of Arrietty. I tried looking up showtimes, but I couldn't find them. I'll figure it out somehow.

Please review! I can't wait to see what happens next!


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The train ride into Boston became less exciting for Ashley as it was for her fellow club members. Over the past few days, Ashley had begun losing interest in all that she had once adored. She hoped that this trip to Anime Boston would prove beneficial to her fragile sanity. For most of the ride she tried getting some sleep, making sure she didn't go deeper than just darkness and outside noises for if she went into her dreams, her nightmares would run rampant and cause her more unneeded stress. She used her duffle bag as a pillow and rested her head on the seat beside her. But after feeling the car bump and sway too many times she gave up on any hope for rest and contented herself with just staring out the window.

"Hey, Ashley?" She turned her head to find one of her clubmates sitting next to her. "You don't look too good. Is everything alright?" Ashley turned back to the window.

"No, I suppose things aren't alright." She said wearily.

"You want to talk about it?" As much as she hated talking about her nightmares, it wasn't doing her much good keeping her fear to herself.

"I've been having a hard time sleeping lately." She said. "I've been having these nightmares lately that prevent me from sleeping. And they're always waiting for me whenever I close my eyes." She unzipped he bag and pulled out her pink stuffed bunny and held it tightly in her arms. "They are dreams about the Phantom and I."

"The Phantom of the Opera?" Ashley nodded. "What are they about?"

"When they first start, nothing is wrong. Everything is like a perfect dream. But at some point, it all goes wrong and either the Phantom or I end up dead." Tears had begun forming in her eyes and she pulled her feet up onto the seat so she could hug her legs to her chest along with her bunny. "I'm so frightened. I don't know why this is happening. I can't bear to sleep knowing these dreams are waiting for me. It's funny how for the past six years I would eagerly await my Phantom dreams. And yet, now when I have them, they're about death and destruction." She gazed down at the smiling face of her bunny and felt her tears break free. She didn't like being afraid like this. The fact that she was plagued by such dreams for a long period of time was new for her and couldn't find the strength to seek out help. So, like she usually did, she tried coping with it on her own, hoping it would pass.

_Why is this happening to me?_

All through the drive to Boston, Erik was almost like a man who was seeing the world for the first time. Well, he sort of was seeing the world for the first time. He was reluctant to get into Christine's car at first thinking it was some metal monster until both Darren and Christine forced him into the back seat and strapped him in.

"If you think about getting out, you're not coming with us." She warned him and the threat was enough to get him to stop. But when they started the car, he nearly forgot the threat and was ready to jump out at the most possible moment.

"Relax. It's not gonna bite you." Darren said teasingly.

As they made the drive, Erik was astounded by the many sights they passed and the many cities and towns they drove through. Then, while they were crossing one of the bridges just outside one of the cities, he saw a billboard advertising a musical. And it wasn't any musical. It was The Phantom of the Opera.

"_My God."_ He whispered and Christine caught his surprise.

"They just celebrated their 25th anniversary, you know." She told him. "It was in October when it took place. Ashley was lucky when she got the collector's box for Christmas." He sensed the hint of envy in her voice but knew she wouldn't try to admit it. "But, I managed to get one for my birthday so it's no big deal."

"What about that… what did you call it? You told me about it yesterday…" He said trying to recall the movie Darren showed him the other day.

"The 2004 film? It's the same thing, only in a different format. The stage production is much more exciting." Erik smirked.

"Perhaps I should see it myself at some point." He said mostly to himself.

"Well, I got the 25th anniversary performance on DVD if you're interested." Christine said. "I could let you watch it when we get there."

"And, how will you do that?" He asked.

"I brought my computer with me. It can play movies so there's no problem." For a while the car was silent. Erik was too busy staring out the window at the passing forests and buildings and Darren was listening to his iPod. Christine decided it was time to break the silence and plugged her iPod into her speakers and began playing the Phantom of the Opera Original Cast soundtrack. Erik jumped when he heard the gavel from the auctioneer and was wondering where the sound was coming from.

"What is going on?" He questioned.

"I'm just playing some music." She explained.

"This sounds more like people talking." But then he heard the auctioneer say the Vicomte's name and began listening "What is this?"

"It's the soundtrack to the original London cast of The Phantom of the Opera." She explained. This definitely caught Erik's interest and began listening to the track. He was impressed with how good most of the singers were and, of course winced when Carlotta started singing. But when he heard Sarah Brightman singing the role of Christine, he was very surprised by what he heard.

"She's incredible." He said.

"Sarah Brightman is an amazing singer." Christine said.

"And… who is it that plays my part?" He asked warily.

"Michael Crawford. He's an incredible singer and one of the best Phantom's I've ever known."

"Is he now?" He waited for the Phantom to make his appearance in Angel of Music and was taken aback by Michael's voice. "Is that really what he sounds like?"

"It is." Darren said. "The thing about him is people like his singing or they don't." Erik was already confused with this information and decided it'd be best to just listen and ask questions later. His thought s began wondering back to Ashley. Had she known about all this too? When they first met, she must have already known him if they knew about him in this world. Suddenly, the music began to change and a different soundtrack began to play. The song he heard sounded sad and was sung by a different person.

"Aw crap! I accidently hit shuffle." Christine groaned as she made to adjust the music.

"Wait!" Erik stopped her before she could change the track. "Let me listen." She moved her hand away from her iPod and let him hear the song. Somehow, this song seemed to relate to him and Ashley in a way. The singer sung about how without the one he loved, his life felt empty and could not hope to feel whole again until she was with him again. "Tell me, what is this song?"

"It's called 'Til I Hear You Sing from Love Never Dies." She explained.

"What is Love Never Dies?"

"It's Mister Webber's sequel to Phantom." He gave her a skeptical look and she sighed. "A lot of phans weren't too pleased when it was first announced, trust me." Not too far in the distance a green sign read they were nearing Boston. And out on the horizon, they could already see the tall buildings of the city rapidly approaching.

Ashley was exhausted. She plopped down on her bed in the hotel and just stayed there. So far today she'd been to the artist's alley, went to a Hetalia panel, a Kingdom Hearts panel, played Dance Dance Revolution twice, played Super Smash Bros. Brawl for about an hour, and went to one of the celebrity panels. Her feet were killing her and felt about ready to die. It still didn't help that some of her fatigue also came from her lack of sleep, but that was only a partial reason. She knew she wouldn't be resting for long because she wanted to attend the dance lessons before the Phoenix Ball that evening. She took the dance lesson last year too and thought it was a lot of fun, that and she needed to brush up on her dancing, seeing as though the only one she was able to remember the best was the waltz.

"I suppose I should wear some more comfortable shoes." She said to herself. She reached over to her bag and started rummaging around for a spare pair of shoes. At last, she found them. They were a pair of grayish colored flats that felt a lot like slippers made from a gray sweatshirt with some sequence on the toes. Ashley preferred wearing flats instead of heals because they were closer to the ground and high heels are a real chore to walk in. She slipped off her red Alice shoes and replaced them in her bag before putting on the gray flats. She felt a bit of relief when the red shoes were off. They were a bit hard to walk in and almost made her trip a few times. "Now, when does the dance lesson start?" She whipped out her iPod and went to her guidebook app to check the listings. Finally, she found the dance lessons were starting in about an hour. "I'd better get down there before too many people show up." So she grabbed her bag, brushed off her dress and straightened her wig before picking up her card key and hurrying out the door.

Christine, Darren, and Erik exited the train and found themselves in what appeared to be a large shopping mall. They decided it to be easier to just take the train into the city instead of driving around for God knows how long to find a garage to park in, especially since Con weekends were very busy.

"Now, the convention center should be around here somewhere." Christine said tapping her hammer on her shoulder. Christine was dressed as Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim, and boy did she look the part. Darren was dressed as Scott and even brought along a fake guitar with him.

"Is it necessary for you to be dressed like that?" Erik queried.

"Well, when we get there, you'll see why we are." And they began their trek to find the convention center. They passed many different shops along the way from clothing and jewelry stores to toy stores and candy shops. But what they were really looking for was right in front of them. They started finding more people dressed in costumes from either various anime or video games. While arriving at the food court, they found the entrance to the Hynes Convention center and the Sheraton just across the way. Erik began feeling self conscious with so many people around and nearly regretting his decision to come here. He felt someone tap his shoulder and he whipped around to find a group of girls dressed from various anime smiling up at him.

"Sick Phantom costume." One of them said. "Hey, do you mind if we take a picture with you?" He looked to Christine and she smiled and nodded.

"I… suppose." He answered and the girls giggled with delight.

"I'll hold the camera for you." Christine offered and handed her hammer to Darren. She took the camera from the girls and they all gathered around Erik moving so close that he felt unsure about their contact. When the camera flashed he started seeing spots before his eyes. "Okay, I got it."

"Thanks. We'll see you later." The girls took back their camera and walked off into the crowd.

"They seemed very… nice." Erik said slightly confused.

"It's an anime convention. A lot of these people are the nicest you'll ever find." Christine took Erik's arm and began leading him towards the Sheraton. "We have to get our badges before we can walk around otherwise we'll get in trouble. And we have to get you registered."

Ashley managed to get a good place in line for the dance lesson. She enjoyed going to the ball at these events because you would see so many people dressed either in costume gowns and formal attire making it seem more enjoyable. Even for her senior prom in high school, she would rather attend the convention's formal dance than subject herself to _that_.

"Alright, tickets are now on sale for the Phoenix Ball!" She heard someone announce at the front of the line. "For those who would like a ticket, they are $4 each and only one per person!" Ashley reached into her bag and pulled out her fuzzy pink bunny wallet and pulled out a few ones. "Now, please raise your hand if you'd like a ticket!" Many people in line raised their hands and the one selling the tickets came to them one by one. When she finally came to Ashley, she gave her the money and was given and beautifully designed invitation like ticket.

"This is the only formal dance you'd see me at." She said to herself. She laughed at herself for her cynical comment and slipped her ticket into her wallet so she wouldn't lose it. She felt someone tapping her shoulder and turned to have a petite dirty blond girl dressed as Sakura from Tsubasa Chronicles spring into her arms and nearly knock her over.

"Onee-chan!" She shouted and Ashley immediately knew who it was.

"Hi Yuki." She said calling her fried by her nickname as she had been since they first met. "Could you let go, you're choking me!" The girl reluctantly let go and looked up at the older girl with a joyful glint in her eyes.

"When did you get here?" She asked.

"Last night. I'm here with my anime club this time." She said recalling last year's mishap. "I promised myself I would never drive down here alone _ever_ again."

"Yeah, you told me you were scared out of your mind." Yuki said remembering how she spoke to her after returning home that first night.

"I'm not a city girl Yuki. That much is obvious." Ashley could never forget how she got lost on her way home on the first night of the convention and went into full on panic mode trying to find the highway. "Boston at night is a scary place."

"But you're going to be here all weekend this time, right?" Asked the younger girl.

"Yeah, we're actually staying at the hotel so I won't have to drive back and forth." She explained.

"Great! That means I can spend more time with you!" And she jumped back into her arms making her fall back against the wall.

"Ouch!" Ashley shouted rubbing her head.

"Yuki!" Both girls turned to see two boys standing a ways away. One was dressed as Squall from Final Fantasy VIII and the other was dressed as Doctor Who.

"Hey boys! You miss me?" Ashley said sarcastically and the two recognized the Alice girl hugging their friend.

"Momo! You're here!" The Doctor Who boy said coming up to her and hugging her.

"Hey Hiro, nice to see you two." She said hugging the boy back. "Hey Edward! You get over here two!" The Squall boy came over and joined in on the group hug.

"The almighty senpai is here." Edward said jokingly.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." Ashley said. "So, am I going to see you guys at the ball?"

"I know I'm going." Hiro said.

"I'm going." Edward said.

"So am I." Yuki said cheerfully.

"Then you better hurry and get your tickets before they run out." She said and pointed to the person still handing out tickets. The three ran off and left her to herself. "Where does the time go?" She wondered. She still remembered when they all stood in a little group in the hallway talking about everything and nothing. Sure, she's glad that she's out of high school and living her life, but she still missed her friends from her high school days. After she graduated, having to start college, she felt somewhat lonely since she knew she'd be starting from scratch having to make friends all over again. At least she had her conventions to see her old friends again. The line began to move into the ballroom as the lessons were about to start. But as Ashley made her way through the doors, she caught a hint of a dark shadowy figure turning 'round the corner towards registration. She shook her head and thought perhaps it was her imagination.

Erik looked around at the hotel room relishing the quiet and seclusion from the loud and crowded convention scene. Now that he's seen what the place looks like, one question remained. How was he supposed to find Ashley in such a large event? There had to be at least hundreds of people here and finding one girl was not going to be easy. Christine walked out of the bathroom with her cell phone to her ear and smiled to her masked friend.

"I know where you can find her." She told him. "There's a ball tonight at around 7, we'll have plenty of time to prepare." She reached into her suit case and pulled out her Beatrice costume from Umineko no Naku Koro ni. "This is what I'll be wearing."

"And what about myself?" Erik asked.

"What you have on is fine." She said. "You already look like you're dressed for a formal party anyways." Erik couldn't help but smirk at her comment. He glanced over at the electric clock on the nightstand and it read 5:30. In an hour and a half, he would find her.

* * *

><p>Once again, so songs used in this chapter.<p>

Well, I managed to get them closer to finding one another, right? The chapter may not seem that great, but I need to have a little something before the ball. Besides, we can't have them meeting so easily. Speaking of Anime Boston, I'm getting wriled up for it! So, I came home yesterday evening and checked the theaters for showtimes for Arrietty and, you won't believe this, neither theaters in the area had the movie! I was so pissed! I dorve an hour from my school, excited for this movie, and they don't have it even though it came out just yesterday! B~S~!

Well, I suppose that's it for now. Please review and I'll see what I can do about the next chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

When Ashley came out of dance lessons, she immediately returned to her room and ran for the shower. She wanted to make sure she'd be fresh for the ball tonight. That and her makeup was beginning to run because of all the sweat and oil forming on her skin. As she scrubbed herself almost raw she kept thinking about the lessons. She had almost mastered the waltz except for the execution of the spin and she managed to get better with the tango, if she could just remember all the steps for tonight. When she got out of the shower, her makeup was completely off and her skin felt clean and smooth. She dried her body off with her towel before using it to dry off her hair and patting down her face before folding it up and placing it neatly to the side. She took the hair dryer attacked to the wall and a brush and began drying out her hair so she would be able to fix it up later. She never really used a blow dryer that much since she preferred letting her hair dry on its own, but she planned on probably curling her hair a bit to make it look pretty. She was still planning on wearing her wig for some of the ball then take it off later since there was only so much she could take from it because it sometimes squeezed her head and itched a little. When her hair was dry she left the bathroom and began applying her makeup in the mirror just outside.

"Getting ready for the ball?" Said a voice behind her. She looked in the mirror and saw one of her friends, Chelsea, standing behind her.

"Yeah, I'm really excited." She said carefully applying some mascara.

"You want some help?" She asked.

"I got it." Ashley said putting the mascara away and taking out her cover up. She placed a few dabs on the dark circles under her eyes and carefully smeared it so it covered the purple marks.

"Maybe you should stay here and get some sleep. You don't have to push yourself, you know?" Ashley smiled at her friend and just shook her head.

"I'll be fine. Besides, I spent four dollars on my ticket. I will not let it go to waste." She said and began applying some eye shadow. "I don't really understand how women wear makeup."

"That's because you never wear it." Chelsea said and came over to the frustrated girl. "I'll take that." She plucked the applicator from her hands and began fixing her face. "You put a little too much on. I'll take care of it." She took a cloth and carefully wiped away Ashley's work before applying the color to her face. "There. That looks better." She turned her towards the mirror and, had to admit, she looked pretty good.

"Thanks for the help." She said and touched her cheek almost not even recognizing the girl in the glass.

"No problem. So, where's your outfit?" Ashley went over to her bed and pointed to the pink ball gown resting on the covers. "I thought you hated pink."

"I do. But its Alice's ball dress meaning it's my character's dress." She said picking up the costume and holding it to her body. "You got to admit, it does look good." Chelsea just laughed.

"I don't get you at all." Ashley just rolled her eyes. She looked over at the clocked and gasped.

"Crap! It's 6:30! I have to get changed!" She practically threw off her clothes and began pulling the dress over her head. She smoothed out the fabric and started putting her flats on.

"You'll make it in time." Chelsea called out.

"Yeah, but the line will be extremely long if I don't get a move on!" She said slipping on her other shoe then pulling out her ticket. She went through her bag and pulled out a smaller bag and put in her digital camera, her ticket, and her cell phone and iPod along with her ticket. "I'm going on ahead!" She said as she made her way out the door.

_Earlier…_

Christine sighed as the person told her there were no tickets available. She turned to Erik and shrugged.

"We'll have to wait until they let us in half way through." She said.

"I can't wait that long! I have to find her now!" Erik shouted startling a few passing con goers.

"I know you want to find Ashley, but there's nothing we can do if we can't get in." Christine turned towards the doors to the ballroom and sighed. "Don't worry though. I'm sure you-" But when she turned to address him he was gone. "Erik?" She looked around but there was no trace of him. "Erik!"

Ashley practically sprinted down the hallway to get to the elevator then bolted from the elevator down another hallway to the ballroom doors. But when she got there, the line had already become long. She deflated at the sight of the line.

"Just perfect." She muttered as she got in line. She noticed how a little ways away; Yuki and the boys were about halfway up and were looking over and waving. She gave a small smile and nodded showing she saw them then went back to griping about her timing. She reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone to check the time. "6:45. Just a little while longer."

The final preparations were made for the ball and the doors were almost ready to open. One of the employees decided to check the speakers one more time making sure they were all plugged in and found that one of them was unplugged.

"Hey, this one came undone!" He shouted to one of the others.

"Just plug it back in!" And he did. And as he did, a voice came from it.

"_I'm here… the Phantom of the Opera…"_ He jumped back when the voice sounded.

"What the hell?" He checked the speaker again but found that everything was in order and shrugged.

"_I'm here… the Phantom of the Opera…" _ The voice came again, only it came from a different speaker.

"Alright, who's screwing with the sound system?" He shouted to the other employees and everyone just held up their hands or shook their heads. "This isn't a joke guys." What he didn't know was hidden in the shadows of the ballroom; the Phantom was watching and waiting for his opportune moment. He stood in back of the curtains behind the music mixer and had a clear view of the dance floor. When the room was full, he would make his appearance.

Ashley saw as a man stepped out from behind the closed doors and began talking to one of the people at the door. He seemed a bit shaken about something but they immediately dismissed him and announced that they were letting people in. Ashley began feeling a fluttering in her stomach as she got closer to the door. She could already hear the distant sound of anime music being played and people laughing and dancing along to the beautiful songs. When she finally reached the door, she handed over her ticket and stepped into the dimly lit room. She adjusted her wig a bit before moving towards the closest open table she could grab.

"Well, I'm here." She said to herself and sat down. She watched as the people began to dance and smiled. After a few minutes, a boy dressed as Tamaki from Ouran Highschool Host Club came up to her and asked for a dance. And she just couldn't say no to him since he was holding out a fake rose to her while he asked. The current song was a waltz so she was on safe ground so far. She also made sure to warn him that she might step on him and he just laughed. She didn't mind dancing with some complete strangers at these things because it was usually a lot of fun. When the song ended, she curtsied to him and he bowed to her and she went to return to her seat.

"Excuse me, but is this seat taken?" She turned to find a guy a couple inches taller than her dressed in a Harry Potter based costume pointing to the seat next to her.

"Hi Cedric." She said and gestured for him to sit.

"Have you seen Yuki anywhere?" He asked.

"Not since I got in here, but she's somewhere in the crowd I think." She said while searching the dance floor for her friend. She looked back to him and shrugged.

"Enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yeah, the convention has been a lot of fun so far. I'm really excited to try karaoke later on too. I haven't been able to do it yet so I'm also anxious."

"You'll be fine." He said and patted her shoulder. "I'm gonna go look for the others." And he got up and left Ashley to herself. After some time she began feeling a bit warm and got up to get a drink. She went to the corner of the room where a big water container was resting with stacks and stacks of cups. She pulled off one of the cups and filled it with water and began sipping the cool liquid. As she did, she didn't notice that the dancers had stopped dancing and were staring up at the stage…

_The day starts, the day ends, time crawls by  
>Night steals in, pacing the floor<em>

Ashley heard the soft and almost familiar voice behind her and lowered her cup from her lips.

_The moments creep, yet I can't bear to sleep  
>Till I hear you sing<em>

She slowly turned towards the stage beyond the dance floor and saw who she believed to be a Phantom cosplayer and dropped the cup she was holding.

_And weeks pass, and months pass, seasons fly  
>Still you don't walk through the door<br>And in a haze I count the silent days  
>Till I hear you sing once more<em>

_And sometimes at night time  
>I dream that you are there<br>But wake holding nothing but the empty air_

As she listened to the voice, she felt herself, as if hypnotically, moving closer to the stage towards the Phantom. As she stared up at the man before her, she just couldn't tear her eyes away. And as he sang she let the music just take over her.

_And years cone, and years go, time runs dry  
>Still I ache down to the core<br>My broken soul can't be alive and whole  
>Till I hear you sing once more<em>

_And music, your music  
>It teases at my ear<br>I turn and it fades away and you're not here_

Ashley felt tears well up in her eyes as she listened to him sing. Somehow, she felt the urge to run onto the stage and hold him, but she also had the terrible urge to run from him. By now she was halfway through the crowd and finally stopped. Her feet couldn't take her any further as she continued listening to him sing.

_Let hopes pass, let dreams pass, let them die  
>Without you, what are they for?<br>I'll always feel no more than halfway real  
>Till I hear you song once more<em>

The entire room erupted in thunderous applause when he finished and, for a brief moment, Erik felt something inside that he never felt before. He stared out at the crowd that kept cheering for him, especially the girls, and felt a deep satisfaction in his mind. He watched the crowd also scanning for Ashley's familiar face but couldn't seem to point her out anywhere. He glanced at the door and saw a flash of pink and some blond hair rushing out of the room.

Ashley ran over to one of the cushioned benches and practically fell onto it. She held her hands over her ears and began sobbing. Many con goers that passed looked at her and just thought she had just broken up with her boyfriend or something.

"When will it end?" She said to herself. "I even hear him when I'm awake." She looked back towards the ball room and felt her mind telling her to get as far away as possible. But her heart was telling her to go back inside and confront this fear of hers. "I can't go back, but I can't run either." She buried her face in the seat and began whispering calming words to herself. She soon felt a hand rest on her back and shot around to see Yuki standing beside her.

"Nee-chan, is something wrong?" She asked. Ashley took a deep breath and sat herself up.

"When will the torment end?" She said mostly to herself. "I can't go anywhere without hearing his voice in my head! I can't take it!"

"'His'? Who are you talking about?"

"Erik! The Phantom! The Opera Ghost! Whatever name you can call him!" Her head fell into her hands and she began crying again. "What I once use to dream I now dread. No matter what the dreams never end. _And he'd always be there singing songs in my head… he'd always be there singing songs in my head…_" Her hands fell into her lap and let her tears call onto the carpeted floor.

"Can you talk about it?" She asked. Ashley looked up at her friend and sighed.

"It started almost a week ago when I had that dream…" And she began explaining the entire story to her, from the dream she had on the anniversary of her first dream to the nightmares she'd had ever since up to when she heard the Phantom cosplayer singing just moments ago. "Hearing him sing, he sounds just like he did in my dream."

"Momo, I consider you my big sister. And hearing you torn up about the Phantom is a shock to me. You've been in love with him since you were fourteen and after what just happened, hearing that he causes you pain, it's terrible." She pulled her friend into a tight embrace. "Let's go back inside and I'll get you some water." She took Ashley's hands and pulled her back towards the ballroom.

When Erik descended from the stage he was instantly approached by a mob of fangirls all praising him or asking to be his girlfriend and other such things. His eyes scanned the crowd of girls hoping to catch the one he was looking for. And as his gaze passed the doors, he saw a girl with long blond hair and was wearing a pink ball dress and was being led by a petite looking girl with short dirty blond hair and was wearing a red dress. He watched the girls for a moment to see where they would stop and saw them sit at one of the tables. The smaller girl went off towards the water container leaving the pink one to herself. He noticed some black stains on her face and concluded that she must have been crying. He smiled at the girls once more then turned on his heel and strode back to the darkness behind the curtains.

Ashley pulled some tissues from her bag and used her cell phone as a mirror and began wiping away the black streaks running down her face. One more reason why she hated wearing makeup, it's messy! When her face was all cleaned up she placed her things back in the bag and tried steadying her frazzled nerves. When she looked around the room there was no sign of the Phantom person anywhere. She didn't seem to notice the music had changed once again to a hauntingly familiar melody.

"_Wandering child, so lost so helpless, yearning for my guidance…"_ A voice came from the speakers and she felt every hair on her body stand on end. That voice had haunted her dreams for the past week and was now plaguing her while she was awake. She turned to leave but something stopped her.

_No! Stay and face this!_ She heard a small voice cry out to her. There was no point in running now. It was time she faced whatever was here.

"Angel I hear you, speak I listen, I know you're there staring!" She began to sing and everyone turned and just watched her. She felt everyone's eyes on her as she continued to sing. "Angel, oh speak, what endless longings, echo in this whisper!"

"Too long you've wondered in winter, far from my fathering gaze…" The voice sang and Ashley felt her pulse race and her palms sweat preparing herself for anything.

"_Wildly my mind beats against you…"_  
><strong>"You resist"<strong>  
><em><strong>"Yet <strong>__my__**/**_**your**_** soul obeys!"**_

All those past days of torment seemed to melt away now. All she cared about was singing with this mysterious man. Her heart was crying out to this voice as if it knew who he was. And, somehow, Ashley began to follow it believing in the Angel of Music once more.

"_Angel of music, guide and guardian  
>Grant to me your glory!<br>Angel of music hide no longer  
>Come to me strange angel!"<em>

The music then changed to the Angel of Music just before The Phantom of the Opera begins and Ashley could feel something was definitely beginning.

"_I am your Angel of Music  
>Come to me Angel of Music…"<em>

She saw a figure appear on the stage in all Phantom garb and drew closer to him as he held his hand out for her.

"_I am your Angel of Music  
>Come to me Angel of Music…"<em>

She stopped just before the stage and heard the music transition to the next song. The dance floor was instantly cleared as if everyone in the room was waiting for something to occur. The Phantom leapt from the stage and landed in front of a started Ashley. She removed her wig revealing her curled hair and began to sing.

_In sleep he sang to me  
>In dreams he came<br>That voice which calls to me  
>And speaks my name<em>

_And do I dream again  
>For now I find<br>The Phantom on the Opera is there  
>Inside my mind…<em>

The two began circling each other as if waiting for the other to make their first move. Then, Erik grabbed her hand and spun her towards him before catching her and they began dancing.

**Sing once again with me  
>Our strange duet<br>My power over you  
>Grows stronger yet<strong>

**And though you turn from me  
>To glance behind<br>The Phantom of the Opera is there  
>Inside your mind…<strong>

He spun her again only this time farther away so he didn't catch her. She turned to face him but he had vanished. Her eyes scanned the crowd but saw no trace of her masked partner. So, she closed her eyes and just listened to the music.

_Those who have seen your face  
>Draw back in fear<br>I am the mask you wear  
><em>**It's me they hear**

_Your__**/**_**My **_**spirit and **__my__**/**_**your**_** voice  
>In one combined<br>The Phantom of the Opera is there  
>Inside <strong>__my__**/**_**your**_** mind…**_

_He's there… the Phantom of the Opera…_

Everyone began chanting the chorus part all pointing in different directions as if seeing him in some part of the room.

_He's there… the Phantom of the Opera…_

She felt a pair of hands reach out and grab her from behind and turned to find the Phantom looking down at her. He took her hands in his and began leading her towards the center of the floor.

**In all your fantasies  
>You always knew<br>That man and mystery**  
><em>Were both in you<em>

_**And in this labyrinth  
>Where night is blind<br>The Phantom of the Opera is **__here__**/**_**there**_**  
>Inside <strong>__my__**/**_**your**_** mind…**_

Erik let go of her hands and began circling her once more.

"_Sing, my Angel of Music!"_ He commanded. _"Sing!"_

_He's there… the Phantom of the Opera…_

As Ashley meant do go down an octave, her voice chose not to listen and made her sing high. She tried coaxing her voice to let her go down before she went any higher knowing her voice would crack if it went too high but still she kept going.

"_Sing my angel!"_ Erik shouted again to the girl before her. He listened as her voice continued climbing higher than he anticipated. _"Sing!"_ He heard the innocent yet strong voice continue singing and knew he had found his angel. _"Sing for me!"_

Her voice soon hit the high note and Ashley felt as if she had just woken from a trance. Her body felt light and all that happened seemed almost like a blur. Had she finally lost it? Did her dreams overtake her and cause her to do something completely out of her control? The room was dead silent as all eyes were on her. Or was it just her? She allowed her body to turn and came once again, face to face, with the Phantom of the Opera.

* * *

><p>The songs used are <strong>'Til I Hear You Sing<strong> from Love Never Dies, **Angel of Music** and **The Phantom of the Opera** from The Phantom of the Opera all by _Andrew Lloyd Webber_.

So, I saw the Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary performance and...

**IT**

**BLEW**

**MY**

**MIND!**

Oh my God it was spectacular! Everything about it was just fantastic! I just popped it into my laptop (since it can play movies and has a bigger screen than my portable), turned the volume up for a better experience, and I was sold! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! I just can't get enough of it! It certainly was a spectical that will astound you!

Well, please leave a review and I will see you later. I'm off to fangirl some more. BEWARE!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

This was no Phantom cosplayer standing before her. Only one man could ever have such power over her. She almost felt like crying but she willed herself to stand firm.

_I have to be dreaming._ She said to herself. _It's the only explanation._

Erik was awestruck by the girl before her. He had found her at long last. As began approaching her, he saw her sway a bit. He rushed towards her and caught her before she could hit the floor. He turned her face to him and her eyes were closed.

"Ashley!" He called to her but she didn't respond. Chelsea made her way through the crowd and up to the two in the center.

"What happened?" She asked. She knelt down next to them and quickly examined her. "She passed out. I guess all the exhaustion from the week finally caught up to her." Erik was relieved to know his angel would be alright. He lifted her into his arms and turned to Chelsea.

"Is she staying here?" He asked.

"Yeah, she's here with us."

"Where is she staying?"

"You know, we can take care of her. She is our response-" She didn't finish her sentence since Erik was giving her a look daring her to protest him. She swallowed hard before speaking again. "I'll just show you her room." And she turned towards the doors with him following close behind.

Christine was approaching the ballroom, coming back from a panel to pass the time, and saw Erik walking from the room with her sister in his arms unconscious. She dropped her hammer and ran over to him.

"What the hell happened to her?" She shouted and Chelsea and Erik stopped to face the pink haired woman.

"She fainted." Erik said calmly. "They say she was already exhausted from this week." Christine remembered how Ashley had told her about how she wasn't sleeping well and let it go.

"You're taking her to her room?"

"I'm not about to leave her alone again Christine. That you can be sure of." Christine smiled at his devotion to her sister and let them be on their way.

_You better take good care of her or you will pay dearly._

When they reached the room, Erik set Ashley down on one of the beds and grabbed one of the chairs placing it beside her. Chelsea saw him sit down and decided not to try and make him leave. He seemed dead set on staying with her tonight.

"So, how do you know Ashley?" She asked him.

"I met her some years ago. One thing led to another and then we were separated. We only just found each other again." He reached into his coat and pulled out the ring he had given her. Chelsea stared at the ring and knew that now seemed like a good time to bow out. Erik kept the ring in his hand as he watched Ashley sleep. He would wait until she woke before he tried giving it to her again seeing as how last time she returned home she had no idea what happened to them was real. He soon began feeling his eyelids growing heavy and began succumbing to sleep…

Ashley couldn't help but feel something was out of place. One reason was for the first time in a week she had not had a nightmare. Second, she felt rejuvenated as if she had been sleeping for three days. She opened her eyes and found herself back in her hotel room. Had the ball just been a dream? She looked down and saw she was still in her ball dress.

_I guess not._ She thought and laughed at herself. She also felt something warm on her hand and looked to her side and saw Erik asleep sitting in the chair next to her bed. _Am I still dreaming? There's no way he could be here if I wasn't._ She sat up slowly hoping not to disturb him. But as she slid her hand from his, she felt his grip on her tighten. She stiffened a bit and felt her cheeks begin heating up. Erik's eyes opened and he looked up to see Ashley staring at him in confusion and nervousness.

"You're awake." Ashley said feeling a bit bewildered. "Last night… when you and I…" She couldn't seem to form the right words and turned away in embarrassment. "You made me sing in a way I never thought possible." She heard him shift but was too nervous to turn towards him again. "Just who are you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He said sadly. She caught his tone and turned back to him and found him kneeling before her with a ring in his hand. But when she saw the ring, she felt like her heart would stop. She recognized the ring from her "dream" as the ring the Phantom gave to her while singing…

"_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime…"_ He began to sing and Ashley could feel tears form in her eyes.

"_Say the word and I will follow you…"_ She continued and Erik's eyes lit up as she made the connection. Before they could make it to the next line, Ashley had jumped from her bed and into his arms, crying like a little girl. Erik wrapped his arms around her and relished the feeling of their bodies so close together. It felt like an eternity since he last held her since she had died in his arms the night of Don Juan, but now that she was here with him he could forget about such a tragedy.

"I'm here now my angel. It's alright." He whispered to her and stroked her hair hoping to calm her. Ashley pulled away after a while and just looked at his face. She couldn't believe that he was here, and not in her dreams. She wiped her tear-stained face and smiled.

"If this is a dream, please don't let me wake up any time soon." She said forlornly and Erik could feel his heart break. She had been deceived by her dreams for so long that she couldn't tell if this moment was real. If he was real. He touched her cheek and she leaned into his touch a bit.

"I promise you, you're not dreaming." He said and leaned towards her for a kiss. But before he could, she pulled away and moved off the bed walking towards the window.

"There's no way you could be here if it wasn't a dream." She felt tears begin rolling down her face as she spoke. "You can't be real. No matter how much I wish you are." She couldn't be in the same room anymore fearing that something would happen to either of them and quickly made for the door. Erik tried to stop her but she had already closed the door.

"Ashley…" Erik fell to his knees and started sobbing. She had been plagued by her dreams for so long that she could not bring herself to believe he was real. This was not what he had expected coming here.

Christine was on her way to her sister's hotel room to check on her when she saw Ashley walking through the hotel lobby with tears staining her face. She was still wearing her ball gown which was very odd and Erik wasn't with her. She knew something must have gone wrong and decided to see if Erik was still around. When she reached the door, she could hear him crying on the other side. She knocked on the door and waited for a while. She heard the knob turn and the door opened revealing a very depressed Erik on the other side.

"Is it safe to ask what happened?" She asked. Erik gestured for her to enter and she did. As he closed the door she took a seat in the chair by the bed. "I saw Ashley when I was on my way up here. She looked absolutely miserable."

"She thinks it's another one of her dreams." He explained. "When she woke this morning, she wouldn't believe that I was really here. I tried to convince her that I was but she wouldn't believe me." He sat down on the bed and held his face in his hands. "This is the first time she refused me." Christine could sense the hurt in his voice. She knew that he loved Ashley, which hurt just as much, but how could she get them together? She began thinking of an idea. With all that goes on at an anime convention, something was bound to open a window of opportunity. Then a proverbial light bulb went off in her mind.

"The Masquerade." Erik looked up at her.

"What Masquerade?"

"The Masquerade is an event at every anime con. Groups of cosplayers put on performances and even receive an award if they're chosen by the judges. That could be a good chance." But a thought struck her and her bright disposition faded. "But you would have had to register for it ahead of time. Damn it!"

"Well, I managed to find my way into the ball last night, I'm sure the Opera Ghost can make his own appearance at this Masquerade." He said. His voice sent shivers down her spine, because for a brief moment, she sounded like the Phantom of the Opera again.

"If you can find a way to make your appearance at the Masquerade, I'll make sure to have Ashley present." Christine said. "Just make sure you have something ready for when she gets there."

"No need. I know exactly what to do."

Ashley wandered around the con on a haze. She was barely aware that she was still in her ball dress but it's not like it mattered. The dress was still a cosplay dress so it wasn't much of a difference. She didn't have her wig though since she lost it last night at the ball so she had to walk around with her shorter dark hair. She knew there was a panel coming up that she wanted to go to, but she no longer felt much like attending. After what happened this morning, all she wanted was to go back to her school room and wish she'd never come to Boston. She stopped in front of the large window overlooking the city and just gazed out at the many buildings and streets.

…_He'll always be there singing songs in my head…_ She found it ironic that for the past six years she had wanted to have the Phantom at her side. But now with all that has been happening, she can't even bear to stay in the same room. _When will these dreams end?_

"Ashley!" She looked over her shoulder to see a Ramona Flowers cosplayer coming towards her. As she approached, she got a better look at her face and smiled.

"Hi Christine." She said and hugged her older sister.

"Is something wrong kiddo?" She asked.

"Nah, I'm alright." She said wiping her face of any stray tears. "I'm just feeling a bit stressed at the moment." Christine could tell she was lying but knew it wouldn't be the best idea to probe her about it.

"So, what are you up to?"

"Well, I'm not too sure what I'm going to do next. I was going to a panel but it became full so I couldn't get in." She lied again. "Where were you headed?"

"I was looking for you actually." Ashley's eyebrows shot up. "I was wondering if you were going to the Masquerade this evening."

"Well, I wasn't planning on it. I was more likely to head towards karaoke."

"I think you should go to the Masquerade with me." Ashley gave her a suspicious look.

"Okay, what's up? You just come up to be and invite me to the Masquerade and not expect me to get suspicious?" Christine just laughed and smacked her on the back.'

"Don't be ridiculous! I just thought I could spend a little time with my sister, that's all." Ashley wasn't fully convinced of this, but she didn't feel much like arguing. "But first, maybe we should change your costume." She pointed to the dress and Ashley's face went beet red.

"Maybe you're right." And they made their way back to the hotel room to change into her proper Alice cosplay.

The time for the Masquerade was approaching. Before going to get in line, Ashley decided she would wear the ball dress again, just for kicks. They got in line about an hour before the event was to start since they knew that the line would form very fast and didn't want to catch it when it became too long. Even when they showed up to get in line there were people already lining up.

"Excited?" Christine asked.

"A little." Ashley said. "It's funny; for as long as I've been going to cons, never once have I gone to the Masquerade."

"Maybe this first one may be the best you've ever been to." Ashley laughed a bit at her sister's words. Her thoughts strayed back to that morning with the Phantom. She couldn't help but feel herself being drawn to him, even when she knew he couldn't be real. But there was just something about him that told her it was alright. She tried shaking the feeling hoping that by the end of all this she would be back to normal. Or, at least normal for her standards. When the doors finally opened, Ashley was feeling more excited for the Masquerade. She has yet to attend one, but she knew what it was. She couldn't wait to see what kind of fun skits these groups were going to put on.

So far, the Masquerade was going great. There were a few groups that went already and they were a lot of fun. One was a musical based skit, a few comedy skits, one including Hetalia, and a two drama based ones. Ashley looked over at Christine and noticed she looked a bit tense.

"Hey, you okay?" She said nudging her a bit.

"Yeah, fine." She quipped and Ashley knew not to press her any further.

_What's eating her?_ She wondered. Suddenly, the lights went out and the room broke into a nervous chatter. When the lights came back on, up on the stage stood the Phantom. Ashley felt her fear begin taking over and turned to run. But the room was so crowded that she couldn't go anywhere. She looked back up at the man on the stage and noticed his eyes were scanning the crowd. When his eyes caught hers he nodded at Christine for some reason and she felt herself being pushed towards the stage.

"Christine, what are you doing?" Ashley shouted trying to break from her grip.

"Ashley, you're not going to run from this. So you better get up there and face him!"

"You're in on this too?" Christine chose not to answer her and managed to shove her onto the stage where Erik was waiting. Ashley tried to run off but there were too many people blocking her way. She turned back towards the masked man on the stage and felt herself begin to shake.

"What do you want?" She asked fearfully. Erik said nothing. Instead, he reached over to one of the microphone stands and pulled off one of the mics.

"For the past few days I've been dying to see you again." He began. "But now, when I have you with me, you believe me to be nothing more than an illusion. Your dreams have turned you against me. But I will show you the truth." And with a wave of his hand, an all too familiar, beautifully haunting melody began to play…

_Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation  
>Darkness wakes and stirs imagination<br>Silently the senses abandon their defenses  
>Helpless to resist the notes I write<br>For I compose the music of the night_

As she listened to his voice, she felt her entire body begin losing its control. Her mind was telling her to get away now but she couldn't seem to move.

_Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor  
>Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender<br>Hearing is believing  
>Music is deceiving<br>Hard as lightning, soft as candle light  
>Dare you trust the music of the night…<em>

As Erik touched her chin turning her towards him, she could feel the same exciting electricity she felt from him before.

_Close your eyes for your eyes will only tell the truth  
>And the truth isn't what you want to see<br>In the dark it is easy to pretend…  
>That the truth is what it ought to be...<em>

_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you  
>Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you<br>Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind  
>In this darkness which you know you cannot fight<br>The darkness of the music of the night_

Ashley had ultimately given up trying to resist and allowed the music to control her. Hearing him sing had caused her to just give up and let her dream take over, no matter how it was meant to end. But something seemed odd. If it was a dream, one of them would have been dead by now. It would have happened in the hotel room or at the ball if it was to happen.

_Close your eyes start a journey through a strange, new world  
>Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before<br>Close your eyes and let music set you free  
>Only then can you belong to me<em>

As Erik came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her, she led herself fall into his touch and let him as close to her as possible.

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication  
>Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation<br>Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in  
>To the power of the music that I write<br>The power of the music of the night_

As he pulled out her ring she finally began to believe that this was real. She felt tears form in her eyes as he slipped the ring onto her finger and let a wave of happiness just pull her out to a sea of pure bliss. She jumped into his arms and held him as tightly as she could as if he might disappear if she didn't. Then he began singing the last few lines softly in her ear.

_You alone can make my song take flight  
>Help me make the music of the night<em>

As the song ended the entire room broke out into a thunderous applause. Christine was watching from the front and had a look of satisfaction on her face. She knew that there was no force on earth that could separate them now. Ashley looked up at Erik and smiled.

"I'm not dreaming this time?" She asked hopefully.

"No, not this time." Erik said before pulling her into the most mind numbing kiss either of them has ever experienced.

* * *

><p>Phew! That one was hard to write. I wasn't sure how to make this chapter at first. I was about to have Ashley just wake up and just accept him as he was but Ithought it would be more exciting if she was unsure at first. Plus it gave me a chance to get Music of the Night into the mix.<p>

Music of the Night is from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

This version of the song is my favorite. I heard it from a music video I saw on youtube. Just type in "Music of the Night Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman" and you'd find the video. So, Ashley and Erik are now oofficially back together, but don't get to hasty on that happily ever after. There are still some tricks up my sleeves.

Please review and I'll do what I can for the next chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

By the end of the convention Ashley had to be the happiest girl on Earth. Erik decided that he was going to return with Ashley to her school and they would begin making plans for their future. On the train ride back to concord Ashley was telling Erik about her life in this world after their first meeting all the way up to then she arrived the second time, but didn't feel much like talking about the last few days.

"Meteorology?" Ashley had just told him what she had been majoring in for school.

"Well, yes. It seemed like an interesting field to go into." She explained. "Besides, I remembered the weather unit we had in middle school and it just seemed like a good idea."

"I would have thought you would have gone on to major in music." Ashley's face fell at that moment. Erik noticed the saddened expression on her face. "Is something wrong?" Ashley shook her head and turned her face towards the window not wanting to meet his eye. But he turned her to face him again. "Did you want to major in music?" Ashley looked down at her hands.

"I did… once." She said. "Early on in my high school years I thought about becoming a music major. I loved to sing so much and music has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. But, one day, I told one of my family members that I might want to major in music and…" She let her voice trail off as she remembered that moment. She really didn't want to tell him what happened but she knew he wouldn't let it rest until she did. "They told me it was a waste of time."

"What?" Erik shouted and many of the passengers turned in their direction.

"_Erik, don't shout!"_ She whispered and looked around at the people who were staring. Erik noticed her distress and tried calming himself down. "They said that music wouldn't get me anywhere; that it was a waste of time. After that, I knew that I couldn't go into music. So, I chose to go with meteorology as my major. But it's not that bad! It's a bit difficult but it's actually very fascinating." She tried reassuring him but Erik wasn't convinced. He knew that she loved music more than anything and couldn't be happy with what she chose.

"Ashley, are you sure you're happy?" He asked her. She just gave him a smile, as fake as it might have been, and said,

"I'm alright." He knew that she wouldn't try speaking her problems. He remembered how when she was young she was the kind of girl that tried to please everybody. She would sacrifice her own happiness if only to make others around her happy. It broke his heart to know what she had been going through since they first met. But he assured himself that when this was over, when she was with him again, she would not have to live her life to please others. He would make sure of that.

"Ashley, I-" But before he could speak another word, Ashley's phone went off, playing the tune Hall om mig. She pulled her phone from her pocket and pressed the answer button.

"Just a second." She told him before placing the black device to her ear. "Hello?... Oh, hi dad." Erik stiffened as she acknowledged the person on the other end as her father. He only met her father once, back when she was fourteen, and it was on very… bad terms, for lack of a better word. It was when Erik had taken Ashley after the competition and hid her away in his lair…

_Erik prowled the cat-walk watching the police search the stage for any of his secret entrances. They had come close to finding a few, but the made sure they were all secured before he took Ashley. He wasn't going to let her go without a fight. Her father has been working with the police to find them since her disappearance and Erik was becoming very irritated with the man._

"_Anything yet?" He asked the chief of police._

"_I'm sorry Mister White. We've had no luck locating an entrance." He answered. He gave a cry of frustration and ran his hands through his hair._

"_Dad, you've been at it for three days now. Maybe we should go home and let the police find her." Christine said to her father. "Besides, if I know the Phantom, he'd be three steps ahead of us and locked up his lair tight and booby trapped it to a T." Erik smirked at the older girl at her deduction._

"_You can return home if you wish Christine. But I'm staying to make sure Ashley is safe." Erik's smile turned into a frown at his words and knew he would become a nuisance to him. He supposed that came with being a father, not as if he would know. "Take your brother with you too. You can stay with your mother until I find her." Christine nodded and left her father to his excursion. A rumble of thunder was heard outside indicating an approaching storm. He knew Ashley was terrified of loud noises and wasn't sure if she hated thunder, so he figured he could leave them for a while and return home for some time._

"_Monsieur!" Just as he made his leave, he heard a triumphant cry coming from the dressing room. He ran down to check and found that one of the guards had found the entrance behind the mirror. "I found an opening! We can get in here!"_

Damn._ He thought and opened one of his other entrances and began his hastened decent to his lair._

_By the time he reached the lake, he could hear the faint shouts of the approaching mob. He had to hurry if he and Ashley were to escape. He crossed the lake and found Ashley sitting at the piano playing an unknown melody. Maybe a song from her world. She turned and saw him leaving the boat and sprang from her seat and ran over to greet him like she usually did._

"_You're back early." She said and pulled him into a big hug. For a second Erik forgot about the approaching danger and hugged her back and kissed her hair. He pulled back after a moment and Ashley noticed the serious yet fearful look on his face._

"_We have to leave, now." He said. "They've found one of my entrances and are on their way here." Ashley's smile faded and was replaced with a look of panic._

"_How?"_

"_The mirror, in the dressing room. They must have found out it was two way glass. We have no time to waste." He grabbed her arm and brought her over to a curtain and lifted it revealing a secret passage. "I believe you're familiar with this passage?" It took a moment for it to sink in, but she remembered it as the corridor she fell into that first night. "We'll take this passage to the dormitories, then we can take another passage leading to the stables and we'll find my horse and escape."_

"_I'm scared." She muttered. Erik threw his cloak over her shoulders then wrapped an arm around her shoulders._

"_I won't let them take you from me." He promised her and they began their journey through the dark. The walk was taking a long time, but it was the best way to get to the dorms. Ashley's ears pricked up when she heard voices coming from behind._

"_I hear something." She said. Erik stopped and turned to see a light back where they came._

"_They found the tunnel." He hissed and took Ashley by the hand. "Run!" They ran through the corridor with the mob hot on their trail. Ashley looked back and saw some people appear._

"_They're gaining on us!" She shouted and they picked up the pace._

"_They're they are!" Someone shouted. "Don't let him get away!" They finally found the way to the dormitories and made their ascent. By the time they reached the opera house again, there were some police officers in the hallway that must have still been searching for an entrance._

"_Hey, over there!" One of them noticed them and they came towards them._

"_Damn. Let's go!" He pulled her from the corridor and they ran off in the opposite direction. Erik wasn't sure where he was running but anywhere they could hide would help._

"_Halt! Or we'll shoot!" One of them shouted and aimed a gun at them._

"_No! You could hit the girl!" The other shouted and they began pursuing them. With no other option, Erik decided to head towards the roof. He pulled her along up the many twisting stairs until they reached the door to the roof. When they made it outside it was raining. Erik was glad he gave Ashley his cloak or he would have to worry about her catching a cold._

"_Over here." He pulled her over to one of the statues and hid them behind it. They heard a door open and several footsteps were heard on the stone ground._

"_I saw them coming up here." One of the officers said. There was some silence for a while but Erik knew they were not out of danger just yet._

"_Let's check the upper levels." Another officer said and they left the roof. Erik peaked around the corner making sure no one else was outside. When he saw that they were alone, he moved out from behind the statue and Ashley came out after him._

"_Are they gone?" She asked._

"_I believe so." He answered and held his hand out to her and she took it graciously. But as soon as she stepped away, the door opened again with a group of soldiers came out pointing their guns at them._

"_The Phantom of the Opera, we presume!" The chief shouted. Erik pulled Ashley behind him but as soon as he did, a guard sprung out from one of the statues and grabbed her, pulling her away from him._

"_NO!" The guard pulled out a gun and pointed it at him making him stop._

"_Come no closer!" He said. "Monsieur, we've recovered your daughter." Erik turned to the mob and saw a man in regular clothes step forward._

"_Ashley, my little girl!" He said and pulled his daughter into a hug. "I've been so worried about you!"_

"_Dad, please! Let him go." She begged him. "Just let him go. He's not a bad person." He looked over at Erik and glared at him._

"_Trying to brainwash my girl, are you?" He said icily. "I want him killed for kidnapping her!"_

"_No! Leave him alone!" Ashley tried wrenching herself from her father's grasp but he was too strong. The police all began taking aim at Erik._

So, this is how it ends._ He thought and looked over at Ashley. _At least I was able to love you and have your love in return._ Then, the next few seconds became a blur. Just as the police were about to fire, Ashley managed to free herself from her father and ran out in front of him. He heard one of the officers shout to the others not to shoot, but it was too late._

_**BANG!**_

_A single shot rang out through the air and he saw Ashley's father's face contort with horror. Then, he saw Ashley fall to the ground. He looked down at her still form and began seeing a pool of blood form around her body. His blood ran cold and his body started to shake. She was dead! He ran towards her and knelt beside her. He saw her father begin to approach but he fixed an icy glare at him._

"_Stay back!" He hissed and he stopped. Erik stared down at the girl before him and knew she had died on impact since he couldn't see her breathing. "This is your fault! If you didn't try and take her from me she would still be alive! Best hope you never meet me again monsieur, or you will know what hell is truly like."_

"Erik, hello?" Erik snapped from his memories when Ashley said his name. She had put her phone away and was giving him a concerned look. "You zoned out for a second."

"My apologies." He said composing himself. "I was just thinking."

"'Bout what?" She asked.

"The past." Ashley suspected she wasn't going to get a straight answer so she decided to drop it. Erik smiled at her and took her hands. "Ashley, I'm not going to let the past hinder us any longer. As soon as all this is over, you and I will be married and we'll live our lives the way we wish." Ashley smiled.

"That sounds great." She said. She jumped again at the sound of her phone going off again. She pulled it out and pressed the answer button. "Yeah? Hey Yuki… yeah it was a lot of fun this year…" He let her speak with whoever was on the phone and began thinking about her life in this world. It's true, she doesn't have very many happy memories in this world, with her parent's divorce, her career choice, and many other things, but she also had friends that care about her. She also had her siblings that care for her. But most of all, she was born into this world. He didn't want to have to think she had only one choice. After she hung up the phone, she began engaging him in some idle chat. But he knew he had to get this off his chest.

"Ashley. There's something I have to tell you."

"I'm listening." She said.

"Ashley, this world of yours, it's your home. I don't want you to think I'm trying to steal you away from all this." Ashley gave him a confused look.

"What are you talking about?"

"Darling, if you choose to come with me to my world, there's a chance you may not be able to return to this world." A look of shock etched itself onto Ashley's face.

_Not come back?_ She thought. She looked down at her hands as she let his words sink in. But after a while, she gave him a determined look.

"I would give up this life a hundred times over if I could be with you." Erik was astonished with her answer, but was also glad with it. She was willing to give up her current life if she could be with him.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that." He said. "One of your classmates told me of a concert coming up at your school. It's open to all students who wish to participate. Auditions start tomorrow and the show itself is on Saturday. Perhaps, it could be your final farewell to this world." Ashley smiled at the idea. Sure, she hadn't sung in front of a crowd, in this world, by herself before. But it couldn't be any different than when she sung in Paris, right?

"Sounds like an idea."

When they arrived at Ashley's dorm building, Ashley took great care bringing Erik to her room. At least she didn't have to worry about security cameras in the building, but she did have to worry about other people showing up. Luckily for them, the building was quiet with no one around who might spot them. Ashley tested her doorknob and found it was locked. She stuck her key into the knob and first turned it to the right seeing if it would click, but it didn't meaning she'd have to turn it to the left to unlock it.

"If it made a clicking noise, it meant the door was locked from the inside." She explained. "Since it wasn't…" She cracked open the door and poked her head in. She looked towards her roommate's bed and saw it was empty. "…she's not in." She opened the door completely and let Erik into the small space.

"You actually live here?" He asked skeptically.

"Only until May, then I would have to move out." She answered. "College gotta love it." Ashley found a note on her bed from her roommate saying she'd be gone for a while due to some personal reason. Their good luck just kept coming. "We get the room to ourselves for a while."

"I suppose Fate has given up on separating us." Ashley started laughing.

"Perhaps." She said and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Besides, we've past the point of no return ages ago." Now it was Erik's turn to laugh before sweeping her up into his arms and kissing her. But before they could go much further, Ashley's phone went off again spoiling their mood. She pulled it from her pocket and pressed reject then turned it off. She placed the phone on her desk then went over to lock the door. "No more distractions." Erik smiled wickedly then started kissing her, leading her towards her bed.

* * *

><p>OMG I can't believe I just wrote that! *blush* I'm sure a lot of you can imagine what they plan on here. So, I thoght I would add the last part of the flash back here since we're going to have a confrontation with daddy soon. And, no songs were used in this chapter, but I need to think what song I want to use for the concert. It has to be something good! I'm going through my itunes list to see if I can find a god song, but if anyone has ideas, I'd be glad to hear them.<p>

So, another chapter down. I'm hoping to push at least 20 chapters at the most since it seems like a good number to stop at, right?

I've been rewatching the Phantom Reviewer's videos on youtube and blip tv and I'm just LMAO when I'm watching them! He is SO funny! But, now that he's watched and reviewed every Phantom movie and musical and whatever ever made, I wonder what he'll do now. Oh well, he'll think of something.

So, reviews please! I will see you later!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The next morning, Ashley had gone to her first class with a daydreamy look on her face. Most of her classmates that saw her found it quite odd that she seemed so happy this early in the morning. Even her professor found it strange. But that didn't stop her from paying attention when she needed to. She would take her notes when need be and would zone in and out in between explanations. Her mind kept wandering to Erik. It was one thing that he had traveled all the way from his world just to find her, not to mention proposing to her all over again at Anime Boston, but when she awoke with him in her dorm room that morning she felt like she really did die back in the catacombs of the Opera Populaire and went straight to heaven!

"Ashley?" Her head shot up when she heard someone call her name and saw her Chemistry professor standing in front of her. "Are you feeling okay this morning?" Ashley looked up at her with an innocent smile on her face.

"I'm just lovely today, how are you?" The entire class felt uncomfortable with her at this moment.

"I take it you had a good weekend?" She asked cautiously.

"The best I've had in a long time." She replied.

"Well, can you try to pay attention instead of just letting yourself daydream?" The smile was wiped from Ashley's face and her cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. For the rest of the class period she tried staying focused on school. But when her mind wandered back to the night before…

_NO! Bad Ashley!_ She scolded herself.

After class, Ashley pulled out her iPod and checked her calendar for when the concert auditions were being held. The time was about 11am at the moment and the auditions were at noon. That would give her enough time for her to run back to her room and get ready. When Ashley made it back to her dorm building, as she walked through the main lobby, she was welcomed with the beautiful sound of piano music. For a moment she let herself listen to the lovely melody and just lose herself. But then it occurred to her that only one person could make music with _this _sort of effect. She dropped her back and ran into the next room where she found Erik sitting at the piano with a small group of people listening to him play.

"He just appeared as if from nowhere and started playing." Ashley jumped when she heard someone speaking to her. She turned to find one of her former roommates, Gabby, standing beside her.

"Has he been there all morning?" She asked.

"I think so." When Erik stopped paying everyone started clapping. He caught sight of her and stood from the piano bench and walked over to the two girls.

"Are you done with classes?" He said acknowledging only Ashley.

"Yeah, I'm done for today." She said then noticed a strange look in his eyes. _Oh boy._

"As I'm sure you're aware, it has been some time since you had a proper singing lesson young lady," He said and Ashley knew exactly what he was hinting at, "so I'll be helping you prepare for your audition. Then, I will be training you before the concert."

"How did I know this was going to happen?" She thought out loud. Erik has gone into strict teacher mode now.

"So, you know him?" Gabby asked.

"Yeah, about that-"

"I was her singing teacher some years ago." Erik said cutting her off. "She was one of my favorite students. However, there were some people who found me rather strange. They believed I was manipulating her when all I wanted was to see her shine." It wasn't a complete lie. Erik did want her to be a great singer and everyone did think he was using her. "Just because I seem different doesn't mean I have malicious intents for my pupils. Now…" He took Ashley's hand and led her over to the piano, "…when do you have to be at the audition?"

"It isn't for another hour." She said.

"That will give us enough time to warm you up and run through the song once or twice. You do have a song in mind?" She nodded and ran out of the room and came back in with her bag and some sheets of paper in her hand.

"I was going to use this as my audition song." He took the sheet music from her and began playing a few bars, listening to the melody. He spread out the pages and looked back to her.

"Let's warm you up first."

The time came for the audition. Ashley was very anxious about singing more than ever. As she listened to every other person sing their songs she felt almost inferior in a way. There were so many great singers belting out on that stage, she wanted nothing more than to run. She hasn't sung by herself since she was in Paris and it scared her. In Paris, her music was foreign to them; something new and exciting. But here, she didn't know what to do.

"Next!" It was her turn now. She gave her music to the person at the piano and turned to face the two people in the audience. "Tell us your name and what you'll be singing for us." Ashley took a few deep breaths trying to steady her frazzled nerves.

"My name is Ashley White and I will be singing Serenade by Ritsuko Okazaki." She could almost see one of the persons rolling their eyes, almost saying 'another one of them'. But she looked up the English lyrics for this song and had practiced them long before her session with Erik. In fact, long before her return to Paris. As the piano began to play, she began counting in her head, waiting for her cue…

_Something delicate,  
>Special like the love we know<br>My fragile heart beats  
>At times secure, at times alone<em>

Ashley began sounding timid and her voice was faltering a bit. She looked around for something to keep her mind straight but was failing miserably

_My first treasure,  
>Took me years to find<br>It's what I cling to  
>When confusion clouds my mind<em>

She continued searching the stands for something to focus on, when she finally found what she was looking for. Off in a shadowed corner of the room, she caught sight of Erik watching her performance. She began feeling a new wave of confidence and almost startled the two in the front row when her voice mirrored her change.

_When you come to me and you smile  
>Suddenly I feel as if everything's okay<br>Lost in your smile,  
>All at once I'm swept away<em>

_When trouble falls upon me like rain  
>When the world become what they call a lonely place<br>You carry me through,  
>From dreary skies the sun breaks through<em>

_When you're feeling lost  
>And don't know what to do<br>Just look, you'll see me,  
>Calling out to you<em>

_And when you're shaking from  
>Winter wind upon your face<br>I'll hurry towards you,  
>I'll warm you up with an embrace<em>

_Baby you can count on me  
>Always and forever I'll stand right next to you<br>Come what may,  
>I know it's worth to see it through<em>

_Love can be a delicate thing  
>True love has a power that's infinitely real<br>Locking the heart,  
>Through true emotions that you feel<em>

_When you come to me and you smile  
>Suddenly I feel as if everything's okay<br>Lost in your smile,  
>All at once I'm swept away<em>

_When trouble falls upon me like rain  
>When the world become what they call a lonely place<br>You carry me through,  
>From dreary skies the sun breaks through<em>

_I will carry on for today  
>The strength that you give to me will always be enough<br>Because, you see  
>You are my one and only love<em>

When she finished her song, the two in the stands and even some of those who were auditioning were applauding. Her heart was racing and her cheeks were flushed, but she liked how she was feeling at this moment.

"My dear, you'd best ready your voice, because you're definitely performing on Saturday night." Ashley couldn't contain herself and began jumping up and down and squealing like a little girl.

"Thank you so much!" She was trying her best to contain her excitement but failed terribly.

"We're glad you're so enthusiastic. We want to place you at the end of the show, you know, making you our finale in a sense. How does that sound to you?" Ashley just shrugged.

"Sounds fine to me."

"Great. Now, have a new song picked out for the show on Saturday and make sure you practice." She nodded then bounded off the stage and back towards her dorm building.

As the week went by, Ashley was beginning to regret letting Erik coach her in her singing. All through the week he would keep her on a schedule consisting of her classes, a couple meal breaks, and singing lessons. By the time Friday came, she felt like she was going to die. As Erik played the piece she selected and as she sang, he stopped for the tenth time after her voice cracked slightly.

"Are you breathing like I told you to?" He questioned.

"Yes, exactly like you told me." She said sounding a bit nervous. She didn't like him when he was in teacher mode at all. He was strict and would just about snap at her very time she messed up.

"Let's try it again." He started from the previous measure and this time, she sang it perfectly. By the end of the song, Ashley plopped down onto her chair feeling completely exhausted.

"Remind me again how I enjoyed your singing lessons when I was younger." She said.

"You didn't complain that much when you her fourteen." He reminded her. "You just went along with whatever I said." Ashley let a smile creep onto her face. She looked down at the key watch around her neck and saw it was 6:15pm.

"I think it's about time we got some dinner." She said standing from her chair.

"You still have some practicing to do young lady." Ashley just shook her head and sat herself down on the piano bench.

"Erik, we've been at it for the whole week. You said yourself I was more than ready." She began giving him the large eyes and the adorable smile. Even if his face didn't crack, she could see it in his eyes.

"Very well. But we get back to work when we return."

"Thank you!" She said before hugging him and kissing his exposed cheek, much to his delight. Erik quickly pulled her into his lap and began kissing her, nearly falling off the piano bench in the process. "This won't be easy to explain if someone walks in here." Ashley told him in between kisses.

"It makes no difference to me my dear." Ashley giggled when he began kissing her neck. Soon they would be able to share these moments all the time without worrying about others. Soon.

Saturday night came all too quickly. All the performers for the concert were rushing around getting their make-up touched up and their dresses all straightened out. Ashley stayed more level headed than the rest of them. The little make up she did wear only consisted of some concealer, a touch of blush, and some lit gloss, because lip stick was too messy for her. She also had to make a trip back home earlier that morning and picked up a dress she had. It was the one she wore to her high school graduation and was the only one that she really cared to keep. It was black with a silver buckle in the front around the bust area and came down to her knees. She decided she would keep her hair down for the show but also put some small braids through her hair.

"This is it." She said to herself as she slipped on her black flats and made her way to the stage. She was lined up with the rest of the singers and they were each introduced one by one. Now that the show was underway, Ashley was going to be rather bored, since she doesn't go back out until the very end. When she made it back to the dressing room and to her station, she found a rose resting in front of her mirror. However, it wasn't a red rose, it wasn't a white rose… it was blue. Ashley couldn't help but smile at the gift, knowing who it was from. She picked up the rose and inhaled its sweet fragrance.

_Erik, you are too much sometimes._ She thought.

"Someone has a secret admirer." Ashley jumped at the voice behind her and turned to find an older woman standing in the doorway.

"Mom!" She ran over to her mother and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"The school sent me an email about the concert." She explained.

"I thought they didn't do that." She only shrugged and went back to their hugging.

Gary, Ashley's father, had only just arrived, but from what he could tell, he hadn't missed much. He made his way to the dressing room to see Ashley, but as he approached, he could hear the voice of his ex-wife and began backing away.

_No confrontations with her, thank you._ He thought and began exploring the back stage area, waiting for his chance. He suddenly felt a terrible shiver run down his spine as he felt as if he was being watched.

"Good evening monsieur." He froze mid step at the sound of that melodically haunting voice. He had hoped that he would never have to hear that voice for the rest of his days. He turned slowly and came face to unmasked face with the Phantom.

"_You."_ He whispered. "What are you doing here?" The smirk of Erik's face widened at his obvious fear.

"Now, is that any way to greet and old acquaintance?" He said almost innocently.

"You are no acquaintance of mine! You are a monster! You kidnapped my daughter-"

"Wrong. I merely helped her escape. She was mine to begin with." He started circling the frightened man before him. "And to answer your previous question, I would not think of missing my fiancé's performance." Erik watched as his drained of color.

"Fiancé?" His eyes widened with horror and realization. "No… not her! Let her go!" Erik let out an almost evil chuckle.

"Did you honestly think that separating us will stop her from loving me?"

"She doesn't love you! She thinks you're nothing more than a fantasy!"

"You fool. For the past six years, Ashley has remained mine! Mind, body, and soul." The way he spoke of his daughter made him furious. There was no way Ashley could love such a man.

"I don't believe you!" He shouted. Erik only tilted his head with an amused look on his face. "You've obviously done something to her! Hypnosis, drugs, I don't know but it's something!" Erik's patience was beginning to wear thin.

"Or perhaps, you don't believe she could love this face." Erik hissed gesturing to his deformity. "Well then. Perhaps I can give you a chance to prove me wrong. Devil take the hindmost." Gary squared his shoulders at the sound of his bet. "On this night she'll make her choice. If she sings, you lose tonight. She leaves with me and you never bother us again."

"And if she walks?" He queried.

"I leave and she remains. I will let her live her life in this world." He smirked at the Phantom's stake.

"Devil takes the hindmost."

"Do what you will to convince her not to sing. But if she chooses to go on that stage, you must let her. This is her choice. The point of no return." And with a twirl of his cape, he disappeared. Gary only just realized what he had done. He had to stop her!

Ashley said goodbye to her mother and sat back at her mirror and began fixing her hair. She didn't like having to wait so long for her turn. It reminded her of the Prism Concert back in high school when she was in Concert Choir. She would perform with her group then have to wait for God know how long until she sang again. But this was going to be the first and only time, she would sing alone here. After this, her new life awaits. She saw a figure in the doorway through her mirror and turned to find her father smiling back at her.

"I take it the school told you too?" She said walking over to him and hugging him.

"You could say that." He said. Ashley noticed something in his voice. She couldn't exactly say what it was but she knew that something was wrong.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Ashley, do you want to be a meteorologist?" He asked. Ashley was slightly taken back by his question.

"Why do you think I'm studying it?" She said.

"Why did you choose to sing tonight?"

"Because it looked like fun." She couldn't exactly tell him it was because she was leaving. This was her father after all. "Why?"

"Well, I don't think you should go out there." Ashley couldn't believe her ears.

"What?"

"Ashley, you need to stop living your life like this. I know music has been a part of your life for a long time, but if you truly want to commit to your chosen path, you need to stop here." Ashley was astonished by what he was saying. Why the hell would he say this? "You're twenty Ashley. I think it's about time you grew up." Ashley fell back into her chair.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked.

"I'm only doing what's best for you. I was thinking you could leave this school and start attending UMass Lowell. I remembered how you said you thought of going there at one point. And since I work at one of the schools you won't have to worry about tuition." He came over to her and placed his and on her head. "I know how much you want to be a meteorologist. It's what you've always wanted."

_No it's not._ She thought. _Music is what I want. To sing is what I want. _Erik_ is what I want. _But she was too afraid to voice her thoughts. She didn't want to hurt her father.

"I'm going to bring the car around." He said and left her to herself. Ashley felt like breaking down but knew that if she did, if her father came back, he would only tell her she was being immature. She looked into the mirror and just stared at the girl that was staring back. She felt so torn at this moment. One side of her was the part that wanted to leave with Erik and start her life anew. But she couldn't deny she was a bit afraid about leaving her world, despite what she said. Never seeing her home again, living in a world where she knew no one, she'd be turning her back on all those she loved. But she had Erik with her and she knew he would never let anything happen to her. He was the reason she had loved music for this long. He was music to her. The other half was the part of her that was bound to this world. The little girl that always listened to her father. Daddy's little girl.

"Why do I have to feel like this?" She asked the girl before her. She thought back on how her father always told her that he knew her. Does he really?

_Look at me,  
>You may think you see who I really am<br>But you'll never know me  
>Everyday it says if I play a part<em>

_Now I see if I wear a mask  
>I can fool the world<br>But I cannot fool my heart_

She lightly touched the glass as she continued to sing.

_Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me  
>When will my reflection show who I am inside<em>

Her eyes soon caught the blue rose Erik had left for her and she quickly picked it back up and began stroking its soft petals.

_I am now, in a world where I have to hide my heart  
>And what I believe in<br>But somehow I will show the world what's inside my heart  
>And be loved for who I am<em>

_Who is that girl I see  
>Staring straight back at me<br>Why is my reflection someone I don't know  
>Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time<br>When will my reflection show who I am inside_

_There's a heart that must be free to fly  
>That burns with the need to know the reason why<em>

She knew she couldn't leave now. She was not going to let her father take her from what makes her happy. She let go of music once, she wasn't about to let go again.

_Why must I keep concealed what I think  
>How I feel<br>Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide  
>I can't pretend that I'm<br>Someone else for all time  
>When will my reflection show who I am inside<em>

_When will my reflection show who I am inside_

It was almost time. She placed her rose behind her ear and made her way to the stage.

* * *

><p>Songs used are <strong>Serenade<strong> by _Ritsuko Okazaki_ from the anime Fruits Basket and **Reflection** from the Disney film Mulan (she doesn't sing it like Christina Aguilera).

Well, next chappter is the big performance. I got some pretty good song ideas from a couple of you and I thank you for that. So, next chapter, let's see what song I choose for her act. I also wanted to add almost like a Devil Takes the Hindmost between Ashley's daddy and Erik. So, yeah, I'm gonna have a chapter 20 then I'll add an epilogue at the end.

I wanted to put Reflection in there because, I was listening to the Disney album Michael Crawford released a while back (my obvious love of Disney and Michael!), and I began imagining Ashley singing this song after her talk with her father. I just thought I'd put it in there.

I've also been thinking a bit about the story I have here. Maybe someday, not like any time soon or anything, I may go back and tinker with it. But for now, I'll leave it as is.

So, please drop a review! Much appreciated.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Ashley took a deep breath as she watched the current singer finish her song. She straightened her dress and held her head high. She wanted to make this her greatest performance. Greater than her shows in Paris, greater than Point of No Return, greater than any show she's ever done before.

"You will be wonderful tonight." She smiled at the sound of Erik's voice. She turned to find him but was only greeted with empty space.

"Hiding in the shadows Erik?" She said with a hint of amusement.

"I can't have anyone finding me, now can I?"

"I suppose not." She answered. "My father came to me not too long ago. He doesn't want me to sing tonight."

"And? What did you tell him?" Ashley didn't answer. Erik felt a bit nervous at her silence. "What did you say to him?"

"That's just it. He wouldn't let me make a choice." She said almost angrily. "He just told me he didn't want me to sing and that he wanted me to stop acting like a child." She began rubbing her forehead. "All my life I've had to play a game where I had to make everyone else happy. But where's _my_ happiness? When can I get my chance?"

"And your father is aware of this?" He queried.

"Everyone is." She answered.

"What will you do now?" For a moment she said nothing. But she finally gave him a determined look and said,

"I'm going to do something for myself for once." She said and heard the audience begin to applaud. She turned to see the singer leaving the stage and she figured it was her turn next. But just before she could make for the stage, she felt someone grab her shoulder and pull her back.

"Ashley, I brought the car." Her father said. "Let's get going." He began leading her away towards the exit. That little girl in Ashley was beginning to act up again, telling her not to disappoint her father. But that was her mind telling her what to do. It was about time she listened to her heart! She pulled herself from her father's grasp and he looked at her feeling surprised.

"I can't go with you." She said. "I'm going out there."

"What? But Ashley-"

"I'm not finished." She said interrupting him. "I'm going to have my say and you're going to listen. This is what I truly want. I want to go out there and prove to you that my dreams are not just childish fantasies! For too long I've done what everyone wanted of me. Well, now I'm going to put an end to it." She turned from him and began moving towards the stage.

"If you go out there, be prepared never to see me again." Ashley stopped and looked back at him.

"If that's how you feel, then so be it." He couldn't believe what he heard. His own daughter just agreed to never see him again.

_He definitely had something to do with this._ He thought.

"Just do me one last favor." She said over her shoulder. "I want you to listen to my performance. Let me prove to you that it isn't for naught."And that was her final word before making her way to the stage. But Gary had other plans in mind. As his daughter walked out from behind the curtain, he pulled out his phone and began dialing a three digit number.

Ashley stepped out onto the stage and the room fell silent. She walked up to the mic and cleared her throat.

"Good evening everyone. My name is Ashley White, and tonight I'm going to sing 'A Perfect Life' from Dracula the Musical." The crowd began applauding after she spoke and she stepped back a bit as the music began to play.

_A perfect life, the kind you dream of  
>Waits for me<br>And yet, and yet  
>I can't shut out this sense of dread<br>This haunting doubt_

_I found a man who truly loves me  
>I love him<br>And yet, and yet  
>On this bright day a shadow falls<br>Across my way_

The music suddenly began to change from the original song. The melody was still familiar to her and began wondering what exactly was going on. That is, until, she heard someone begin to sing.

**Loving you keeps me alive,  
>Think again before you leave me.<br>His love cannot be as true,  
>As the love I offer you.<strong>

**You're wasting time pretending  
>You belong to him.<br>Come to your senses.**

Ashley felt a blush creep onto her face as she turned to see Erik standing stage right holding a microphone and singing to Loving You Keeps Me Alive.

**Loving you keeps me alive,  
>I'll be in your heart forever.<br>And you'll be a part of me,  
>From now 'til eternity.<br>You've talked yourself into believing he's the one,  
>Such wild pretenses.<strong>

Ashley turned to face him and saw the look he was giving her. She began having the same feeling she did on the night of Don Juan Triumphant as they sang Point of No Return. The entire world melted away and all that was left was just she and him.

**The first time I set eyes on you,  
>I knew I'd never be the same.<br>I never knew I'd get such pleasure whispering your name.  
>If loving you keeps me alive,<br>Then how can leaving me be right?  
>Turn back and let me love you.<br>Stay with me and let us dance into the night.**

The song began shifting back to her original song and she quickly picked up her mic and sang

_I should hate myself for these irrational ideas  
>I should pull myself together and cast away my fears<br>Part of me is saying I'm so near where I belong  
>Part of me is saying something's wrong<em>

_A perfect life, the kind you dream of  
>Waits for me<br>And yet, and yet  
>I fear I might be sailing into<br>Endless night_

_We'll soon have a perfect life  
>And yet, and yet and yet.<em>

Erik slowly began to approach her as he continued his song.

**You are the one,  
>The only one,<br>To make me see,  
>The empty life I lead.<strong>

**You are the love,  
>The only love,<br>I'll ever need.**

Erik was finally close enough and pulled her into his arms. His eyes were filled with unconcentrated love and devotion and it nearly brought Ashley to tears. This was why she sang. He was her reason to sing. And if she lost him, music would lose all meaning to her.

**The first I set eyes on you,  
>I knew I'd never be the same.<br>I never knew I'd get such pleasure whispering your name.  
><strong>_**If loving you keeps me alive  
>Then how can leaving me be right?<br>Turn back and let me love you,  
>Stay with me and let us dance into the night!<strong>_

As the song finished the entire room broke into a thunderous applause. But neither of them could hear it. They were lost in their own world wrapped in each other's arms. But the moment was short lived when Ashley saw a dark look on Erik's face. She came crashing back to reality at the sound of police officers storming the theater and surrounding them on the stage. One of the officers pulled out a tazor and attempted to use it on Erik.

"No! You could hit the girl!" One of the other officers said. Ashley began to panic at what was going on. She was hit hard with a terrible sense of Déjà vu at their situation, remembering the incident from six years ago.

"We had a deal monsieur!" Erik shouted. "You said we were free to leave!"

"I never said I was giving her to you so easily, you monster." Ashley heard her father from beyond the fray and felt a bit of anger.

"What deal?" Ashley asked warily.

"He promised if you sang he would let us leave in peace." Erik explained. "But it seems he never intended to honor that agreement."

"I'm only protecting my daughter, like any father would." As they spoke, a few officers snuck up on them and pulled the two apart. Ashley tried wrestling herself from their grasp but failed and Erik was being held down by four men to keep him from breaking free.

"Dad, please leave him alone! He's done nothing wrong!" Ashley pleaded.

"You don't know what you're talking about sweetheart." He said stepping through the crowd towards her. "He's possessed you in some way, but it's all going to be alright." Ashley's eyes began filling with tears.

"Dad, don't hurt him! I love him!" But her pleads were falling on deaf ears. Gary turned to Erik and smiled triumphantly.

"The monster who once kidnapped my daughter failed in both attempts. How pitiful." Ashley was shocked by what she heard.

_He knew?_ She thought. This both shocked and angered her.

"You knew what happened?" She said bitterly. "And you never told me?"

"I did it to protect you." He said flatly. "If he took you, what life would you have?"

"A life full of love and music!" Ashley said. "I love him dad! Can't you see that? I can't live without him!"

"He's making you say this!"

"No he's not! I've loved him for the past six years now! We share something that people can only hope to find in their lives!" She found her chance and yanked her arm from one of the officers than the other and ran over to Erik and stood in between the two men. The officers holding Erik began backing away letting go of the masked man. Erik slowly rose to his feet and watched as Ashley confronted her father. "People say that true love is only in fairy tales and children's stories. But that's not true. Erik is my true love!"

"Stop acting like this is some fairy story Ashley! This is real life! It's about time you learned to live in it!" His words bruised her greatly, but she refused to give in.

"Go ahead then. Try and separate us again. But even if we're apart, my love for him will continue to grow. Because love never dies." She almost whispered the last sentence but made it audible enough for everyone to hear. She looked into his eyes for any hint of understanding. When she found none, she began taking a different approach.

_Who knows when love begins  
>Who knows what makes it start<br>One day it's simply there  
>Alive inside your heart<em>

_It slips into your thoughts  
>It infiltrates your soul<br>It takes you by surprise  
>Then seizes full control<em>

_Try to deny it  
>And try to protest<br>But love won't let you go  
>Once you've been possessed<em>

She noticed that someone had begun playing the music to the song and felt an overwhelming sensation begin to fill her. She felt as if the music had possessed her as she continued to sing.

_Love never dies  
>Love never falters<br>Once it has spoken  
>Love is yours<em>

_Love never fades  
>Love never alters<br>Hearts may get broken  
>Love endures<br>Hearts may get broken  
>Love endures<em>

_And soon as you submit  
>Surrender flesh and bone<br>That love takes on a life  
>Much bigger than your own<em>

_It uses you at whim  
>And drives you to despair<br>And forces you to feel  
>More joy than you can bear<em>

_Love gives you pleasure  
>And love brings you pain<br>And yet when both are gone  
>Love will still remain<em>

They were no longer aware that they still had the audience in the theater, but at that time, it didn't seem to matter. They merely believed this was all part of the show and watched in awe at the "performance" being given.

_Once it has spoken  
>Love is yours<br>Love never dies  
>Love never alters<em>

_Hearts may get broken  
>Love endures<br>Hearts may get broken_

_Love never dies  
>Love will continue<br>Love keeps on beating  
>When you're gone<em>

_Love never dies  
>Once it is in you<br>Love may be fleeting  
>Love lives on<br>Love may be fleeting  
>Love lives on<em>

Ashley felt very strange after finishing the song. She had poured her heart into every word and her soul into every note. Now that it was done, she had no more energy left and began to collapse. Erik noticed her swaying and rushed over and caught her before she could hit the floor. Gary was in too much shock to notice her at the moment. And when he did, he noticed that Ashley was gazing up at Erik with the most loving look she could muster in her weakened state.

"Ashley…" She turned from Erik to her father, "you really do love him, don't you?" She smiled.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." She said as she forced herself back to her feet, with a little help. Gary sighed.

"Then I suppose there's no use trying to convince you otherwise." He said and turned to the police officers. "I have no further need for your services this evening." Without another word they all filed out of the room leaving the three on the stage. He turned back and looked at Erik. "Ashley has been my little girl ever since she was born, so it's hard for me to let her go. Should you do anything to hurt her-"

"You have no need to worry monsieur." Erik said. "For you see, your eldest has already promised to end me should I do any wrong towards her sister." Ashley giggled a bit at the thought of Christine getting angry at him over her. Gary returned his attention to Ashley and gave her a sad smile.

"I only wanted to see you happy. But, I guess, you already were." Ashley returned his smile and slowly walked over to him and pulling him into a hug. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"I will." She pulled away from her father and took her place by Erik's side once more. She watched as her father turned to leave and quickly spoke out, "Dad!" He turned to her. "Thank you." He nodded to her then continued his exit. After a moment or two, Ashley began having the nagging feeling that they were being watched. Then ash she turned 'round towards the audience, her feeling was confirmed as she looked out to the full theater.

_Well, this is awkward._ She thought. But after a most uncomfortable silence, the audience steady began breaking out in applause. Ashley was slightly shocked at their reaction but, hell she won't complain.

"We'd best be going." Erik whispered to her and began leading her from the stage.

"Hey, wait! Can't you sing one more song?" Someone shouted from the crowd and the entire room cheered in agreement. Ashley looked up at Erik and he gave her an encouraging smile and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before making her way back to the stage.

"Alright everyone, this is a little strange having to sing three songs in a row, when I would have been happy with just the one-" the audience broke out laughing "-but you asked for it. But let's make this one more light hearted than the others. If you please." The audience started cheering again as the music started playing and Ashley took in a big breath before singing…

_Ever ever after_

_Storybook ending, fairy tales coming true  
>Deep down inside we want to believe they still do<br>And a secret is taught, it's our favorite part of the story  
>Let's just admit we all want to make it too<em>

_Ever ever after  
>If we just don't get it our own way<br>Ever ever after  
>It may only be a wish away<em>

_Starting your fashion, wear your heart on your sleeve  
>Sometimes you reach what's real just by making believe<br>Unafraid, Unashamed  
>There is joy to be claimed in this world<br>You even might wind up being glad to be you_

_Ever ever after  
>Though the world will tell you it's not smart<br>Ever ever after  
>The world can be yours if you let your heart<br>Believe in ever after_

_No wonder your heart feels it's flying  
>Your head feels it's spinning<br>Each happy ending's a brand new beginning  
>Let yourself be enchanted, you just might break through<em>

_To ever ever after  
>Forever could even start today<br>Ever ever after  
>Maybe it's just one wish away<br>Your ever ever after  
>Ever, ever, ever after<em>

_I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss  
>Oh, forever ever after<em>

As the song ended, the audience erupted into a thunderous applause. Ashley was feeling exhilarated from the experience and kept an elated smile on her face. She turned to look at Erik and he also had a pretty wide smile as well. It was over now; she had made her fairy tale come true. And now, it was time to face her new future…

* * *

><p>Songs used were A Perfect LifeLoving You Keeps Me Alive from Dracula the Musical, Love Never Dies by Andrew Lloyd Webber from Love Never Dies, and Ever Ever After by Carrie Underwood from the Disney film Enchanted.

Ever Ever After suggested to me by Merina and Love never Dies suggested to me by SammiRichGurl.

I thank everyone for the great song suggestions. I looked them all up to find my favorites (and which ones that fit the setting) and I really appreciate the choices. It's not easy deciding on songs to use and it was a big help receiving suggestions from everyone :D. Anyways, I'm on vacation right now so I may be able to find more extra free time to get started on the Epilogue. So, once again, thank you and we're nearing the end of the story!

Reviews please and thanx!


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Five Years Later…_

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" Christine rolled her eyes as she tied her dark curls with a black ribbon.

"I'll be fine Edward." She said looking at her husband in the mirror. "The real question is will you be alright alone with our son?"

"I'm sure I can manage." He said and pulled her into a quick embrace before she made her way from the room. She picked up a forest green cloak and made her way to the front door.

"I'll be back this evening!" She called out as Edward came around the corner.

"Are you sure you don't need me?" He asked.

"I'm only visiting an old friend. I know I'll be fine."

As Christine sat in the carriage she began thinking back on her life for the past five years. Ever since the disaster at the Opera Populaire, her life had not been the same. After she and Raoul had escaped, she left Raoul because she couldn't live with the fact that he had tried to murder her teacher and ended up killing her dearest friend. After that, she went home to Sweden for some time and met Edward, a young and handsome man from England whom was staying in Sweden while visiting relatives. He also held an interest in music and they immediately began falling in love. They married about a year later and they now have a son named Gustave, after Christine's father. They were now living in a small town house just outside of Paris and had never been happier. She made sure to keep in touch with the Giry's all these years but has never received any word about Erik. That is, until now. A few days prior she had found a note resting on her bedside table with a red rose with a black ribbon tied around the stem, meaning her Angel of Music had been to visit. The note stated that he was alive and well and now resided in a small estate east of Paris and invited her to visit if she so chose. Christine was now on her way to his home to see just how well her teacher and friend were doing.

"So much has changed, hasn't it?" She said almost to someone as well as herself. Finally, the carriage pulled up to a considerably large house with a beautiful garden out front and continuing out towards the back with a stone gate guarding everything from the outside. Christine stepped down from the carriage and made her way up to the gate. She pushed on the metal door and it swung open gently with a small squeak. She walked up the short pathway, admiring the many beautiful and some strange flowers all lining the path.

_Erik certainly outdid himself, didn't he?_ She thought. When she made it to the door, she took a deep breath feeling slightly nervous. She hadn't heard a word from him for the past five years and now when she hears from him, her feelings return to that of a small child. She squared her shoulders and put on a determined face and knocked on the door. She soon pulled her hair over her shoulder and began pulling at it feeling her nerves return once more. After a moment she heard the door knob from the inside move and the lock making a clicking noise before the door opened revealing the former Phantom of the Opera. As always we was wearing his white mask and dressed in formal wear much like he did before. Guess some things just don't change.

"Christine, welcome." He said sounding both surprised at her being there and happy. "I believe you found my note?"

"Of course." She said and pulled out the red rose that he left her. "I was surprised to hear from you after so long. I was afraid you were dead."

"They can't catch me that easily, my dear." He said sounding a little smug.

"Papa!" Erik's head snapped back inside at the sound of a very young voice. Christine peaked inside and saw a little girl, no more than three years with long wavy black hair and hazel colored eyes running over to him holding a little clay statue shaped like what she believed was a turtle. "Papa, look what mama made for me!" She held up the little creation to him.

"It's lovely Rosetta." He said patting the girl on the head. "And what is it that mama made for you."

"She said it's a turtle." She said. "She said she made it because she likes turtles."

"Did she now?" Rosetta nodded happily then turned to see Christine in the doorway and just stared at her. Erik turned back around to see what she was looking at and saw Christine poking her head to see. Rosetta moved closer to Erik and hid behind his leg. Erik straightened himself then turned back to address Christine. "Christine, I would like you to meet my daughter, Rosetta." He said gesturing to the little girl beside him. "Rosetta, why don't you say hello to our guest?" But the little girl just moved closer to her father not taking her eyes off of the stranger before her. "She's very shy. She's so much like her mother."

"Her mother?" Christine wondered. She looked down at the girl and noticed her face and eyes. They definitely seemed familiar to her but she just couldn't seem to place them. She knelt down to her height and smiled. "Hello Rosetta. My name is Christine." Rosetta didn't respond. "You know, I have a little boy around your age. Maybe the next time I come over you can meet him." She still didn't respond. Christine thought for a moment and an idea popped into her head. "Do you like candy?" Rosetta perked up at the mention of candy. "I have some right here." She reached into her cloak and pulled out a piece of hard candy. "Here you are." The girl eyed the candy for a minute then slowly reached out and took it.

"What do you say dear?" Erik said to her.

"Th-Thank you." She said in a very timid voice.

"You're very welcome." Christine said smiling which earned a small smile from Rosetta.

"Rose, why don't you go find your mother." Rosetta nodded then ran off. Christine stood back up and watched as the little girl bounded off in search of whom ever her mother was. "So, you have a family of your own?" Christine nodded. "With…"

"Edward." Erik gave her a confused look. "After Raoul and I left the opera house, I left him. I couldn't forgive him for trying to hurt you or killing Ashley." She explained. "Edward and I met in Sweden. He's a very kind man and a devoted husband and father." Erik smiled at how she beamed about her new love.

"I suppose we both found what we were looking for." He said.

"Rosetta!" They both turned towards one of the doors and caught sight of Ashley running after the rambunctious three-year-old. She scooped her up into her arms and the girl began giggling uncontrollably. "Don't think you can get away with stealing one of the pastries I made young lady!"

"But it was so yummy!" She squealed.

"Oh yeah?" And she began tickling the little girl earning joyful shrieks and adorable laughs.

"Darling, we have company!" Ashley turned h=her attention to the door where Erik was and… Ashley carefully placed Rosetta on the floor as she stared at their guest.

"Christine?" But Christine was the most surprised out of the both of them.

"Ashley?" _She's alive?_ Without another word, the brunette ran over to her friend with tears in her eyes and caught her in a tight embrace. "I thought you were dead!" She cried. Ashley wrapped her arms around her friend and began stroking her hair.

"I was." She said and Christine pulled away with a confused look. "I did die. However, when I woke up, I was back in my own world."

"How?" She asked.

"It's a mystery to us." She said shrugging. "But it's in the past now." She felt Rosetta pulling on her skirts, since she had to learn to like them to fit into this world, and she lifted her up into her arms again. Christine smiled.

"She has your eyes." She said and Ashley smiled.

"Yes, but she's a perfectionist. Much like someone else we know." She eyes Erik as he made his way over to the three and wrapped an arm around Ashley's waist.

"She's more like you than you know." He added and kissed her cheek. Ashley looked down and saw Rosetta nodding off a bit.

"I'll go put her to bed." She said and made her way up the stairs towards the east wing, singing a soft lullaby along the way.

_Baby mine don't you cry_  
><em>Baby mine dry your eyes<em>  
><em>Rest your head close to my heart<em>  
><em>Never to part, baby of mine<em>

_Little one when you play_  
><em>Don't you mind what they say<em>  
><em>Let those eyes sparkle and shine<em>  
><em>Never a tear, baby of mine<em>

_If they knew sweet little you_  
><em>They'd end up loving you too<em>  
><em>All those same people who scold you<em>  
><em>What they'd give just for the right to hold you<em>

_From your head down to your toes_  
><em>You're not much goodness knows<em>  
><em>But you're so precious to me<em>  
><em>Sure as can be, baby of mine<em>

By the time she reached the nursery, Rosetta was fast asleep. She carefully placed her in her bed and pulled the curtains so the sun wouldn't bother her and placed a small stuffed rabbit in her arms. She can't believe how much she'd changed upon her return to this world. When they returned, Erik insisted they get another home because he couldn't think them living under the opera house for the rest of their lives; especially should they start a family. She was astonished when she found out just how much money Erik really had saved away; money from both the opera house and from his architectural designs and such. So after a few months they found a proper home and began settling down. Ashley still continues to sing but mostly at home because she couldn't see herself returning to the stage after her greatest triumph back home.

So they spent the first year just enjoying themselves, but when Ashley found out she was pregnant, she got scared, thinking so many things like "what if I become a bad mother?" or "I'm not ready to care for a child!" and it took a little reassurance from Erik to help calm her. By then, they had begun rekindling their friendship with the Giry's and told them that they were doing fine and were preparing for their first child. Madame Giry had come over a few times and gave Ashley some help on raising a child, putting her more at ease about the whole idea of a baby. By the time Rosetta was born, she still had that wavering doubt in her mind, but when she held her baby girl for the first time; all those fears were wiped away. Since then, she had spoiled her with all her love wanting to be the best mother she could be. She and Erik knew someday they would have to tell their child about Ashley's real home, but that could wait until she was old enough to understand.

Since then, they've lived a peaceful life. Erik continued his designs and wrote music. Ashley would tend the gardens and would even sing at times and did her best as a wife and a mother.

Ashley looked up at the calendar hanging just to the side of the door and saw the date.

"_April first."_ She whispered and smirked. "I may have been a fool then, but it was all worth it in the end…"

**_The End_**

* * *

><p>The song used in this chapter was Baby Mine from the Disney film Dumbo.<p>

I wanted to use this song because I was listening to the version sung by Michael Crawford and it was so pretty!

So, That's the end of the story! Like I said before, there may come a day when I'll go back and redo the story at some point. But not right now. Someday. For now, I have to worry about school and about what I'm going to do during the summer after school ends. But, before that... I have Anime Boston to worry about! By Ball Dress finally came in so I'll have something for the Ball! I've also got my Organization XIII coat and my Alice cosplay! I'm so excited! So, I've also been thinking of my next project. Possibly a Kingdom Hearts project. I want it to be based around the multiple games, meaning it will be a long term. I was planning on using the games Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts II, Dream Drop Distance, and possibly Kingdom Hearts III (when it somes out, it hasn't even started production yet). I'll just wait and see.

So, that's it for now! See you whevener inspiriation strikes!


	22. ANNOUNCEMENT

**(: THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE AUTHOR :)**

Hey there everyone! Momo here, and I just wanted to let you guys in on something. For the past few months I have been doing some revisions on my Phantom Dreamer Phanfic and I'm letting you know that it is near completion and should be posted soon. I will keep the original work up in case you'd prefer it but just letting you know I had been working on this one too. Now this new version does keep the same storyline and some of the chapters are still the same, but I also tweaked them a bit and even added some new chapters too. I also changed some of the songs around too.

Now, when I look back on this first version, I realized it seemed a bit Disney-like in a way. Now, at the time, I was fine with that. Then, some time later, I happened to find Love Never Dies (the Aussie version) on youtube. Yes, I did watch it. And yes, I did like it (please don't hurt me!). So, after watching the show, it gave me some new ideas for the story that I could have used. That and after watching the 25th Anniversary of Phantom a few more times helped a bit as well. So, the story has been rewritten and will be posted as soon as possible. It is taking a bit of time writing the ending though because... I know where I want the story to go, but it's just so hard to write it out. Anyone else get that problem? I've also been working on an original story all my own!

So, just thought I'd let you guys know about this little project. So, it's out there.

Alright, I will be seeing you! Keep watching for the revised version of Phantom Dreamer!

Until then!


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